The General's Prisoner
by Corvus Ravena
Summary: General Zero Kiryu has changed the face of the world, scouring it of the vampire race. Emotionally scarred by years of war and revenge upon all vampires, he nears completion of his life's work when finally the last pureblood is brought before him for judgement. What will his verdict be, when this pureblood is none other than Kaname Kuran, an old enemy from a time long gone?
1. Chapter 1

******The General's Prisoner**

This is a short hurt-comfort story in five parts, concentrating on Zero and Kaname and their relationship. It is an experiment of depicting characters who must deal maturely with a terrible past. Reader discretion advised.

~{}~ signifies a change in time or perspective

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately, these awesome characters do not belong to me in any way. They belong to Matsuri Hino, I just love to use them over and over in my twisted stories... ;)

**Summary**: General Zero Kiryu has changed the face of the world, scouring it of the vampire race. Emotionally scarred by years of war and revenge upon all vampires, he nears completion of his life's work when finally the last pureblood is brought before him for judgement. What will his verdict be, when this pureblood is none other than Kaname Kuran, an old enemy from a time long gone?

**Rated M: **implied non-con & violence, emotional M/M lemon (if you're not into M/M, do not read)

* * *

**Part I: Defeat**

With heavy and unhurried steps alerting everyone to his presence, the broad-shouldered hunter entered the war tent. He was dressed in full hunter gear, weapons all over him and a long, heavy fur cloak that kept the winter's coldness at bay. It also made for an impressive appearance. Two guardians saluted as the general shook the snow from his hair, revealing its curious silver color. The guard's eyes spoke of their respect for him. Many a soldier had only joined the military ranks because of him. It was clear to all those present that the weapons this man wore were not merely on him for decorative purposes. He wasn't respected solely for the military rank he represented, this man was revered and respected for his superiority. Both in mental and physical combat.

But the famous war hero didn't overly indulge himself in his reputation. A life of war such as his meant nothing but loneliness and the resulting social distance was deeply engraven in his face. Not in signs of age - for he had none. But a cold emptiness shone in his eyes. His reputation had literally won him an army of followers. But the days when followers meant like-minded companions - or perhaps even friends - were long over for this man. For all his young looks, he had many decades ago passed the 25 years of age that he physically appeared to be. Though everyone knew this and knew what he was, they all bowed to him. He was revered because he was their savior.

"General Kiryu, Sir, the prisoner." the guard pointed to the inside of the tent and saluted.

The silver haired man nodded shortly to the guard and then dismissed him with a flick of his eyes. He breathed deeply and calmed himself. This one would be the last. The last of his kind. Yes, he was much older than he looked - it had been over 150 years now. He had made good on his promise to eradicate the vampire race. Humans were almost entirely safe now. They were more likely to die of hayfever than of a vampire attack.

It had been long and tedious work, but now he was close to weeding them all out. If you wanted to get rid of a weed for good, you needed to make sure that you had the entire root. And with vampires, their roots were the purebloods. Without them, the vampire race would dwindle on its own. Lacking purity of blood, their powers would become less and less over generations. Even so, the general didn't intend to lean back idly and wait until generations of blood suckers ran out of strength.

So, here was the last pureblood.

Without haste, the general stepped through the flaps to where the prisoner was kept, secluded. Naked, he was kneeling on the ground with hands and feet chained to a stake. His head was slumped forward and long dark hair hid his face. From what he could see, this pureblood had suffered greatly at the hands of his subordinates. His soldiers weren't known to be humane with vampires and those who had found him had most likely lied about the exact time they had caught him. His body was covered in welts and bruises and some of the bruises were more than a week old. The story about how he had been 'found' a mere three days ago was rather unlikely to be true.

The hunter could tell by his prisoner's smell that he had been raped and brutally beaten. The scent of dry blood, infected wounds, sweat and semen were all over him. Yet even through all those scents, the general smelled the familiarity of the vampire's own pureblood scent.

Without saying a word to the prisoner, he slowly walked around the crouching and shivering figure. He could smell fear. And it appealed to him. It appealed to him like it appealed to all predators. Every hunter was a predator and every vampire even more so. But for the general the sensation was hightened to the fullest, because he was both. A hunter-turned-vampire - the only turned vampire who fought his own kind.

With none of the other vampires had he felt anything but satisfaction at their captivity and death. But this one was different. This one was connected to his past. To many of his followers, who were too young to have been alive then, it was an almost forgotten past - but Zero had not forgotten. This pureblood's blood had a special lure for him. Once, long ago, this creature had saved him from madness and certain death. Not out of love or generosity. But... he had saved him nonetheless.

No, it wasn't love or even fondness that he felt toward the kneeling vampire. But neither did he feel hatred. Walking around his prisoner once, assessing his condition, he decided there was no need for additional cruelty. The pureblood didn't once acknowledge his presence or react in any other way to the scrutinizing look of his captor. All the general got from the vampire was fear. Stark and cloying fear. Most likely, his energy was so depleted that he had no senses about him and wouldn't even know who stood in front of him.

To get a closer look, the general crouched in front of the figure. With a gloved hand, he lifted his prisoner's chin and looked into the pureblood's bruised face. The prisoner flinched at the touch. Then, as the crimson eyes slowly focused, he could clearly see the shock of recognition set in the hungry gaze. Nodding once, the general spoke quietly.  
"Kaname Kuran."

"K...ir...yu." the pureblood's voice croaked in answer. It was barely a harsh whisper, but it had clearly been all the pureblood could muster given his condition.

"You remember." the general said with faint appreciation. "Good."  
Taking a careful look at the battered facial features, he continued in a solemn tone.

"I remember as well, Kuran. A long time ago, I remember you offered something very valuable of yours to me to save my life. You didn't do it for me, but for your own selfish reasons. It was not a noble deed, yet it saved me nonetheless. Out of respect for that generosity, I am giving you a choice, so listen well.

You know you are the last pureblood. The vampire race is dwindling and your death would mark the beginning of the end for the race of vampires. All other purebloods have been executed by torture. Since you are the last, the calls for an especially long and torturous death of yours are very loud. We both know there are ways to prolong your suffering not for mere months, but for years - decades even. But I am willing to refuse to heed that call."

At this, the vampire perked almost imperceptibly - no human would have seen it, but the general noticed.

"My offer is just as selfish as yours was back then. But it would spare you torture."  
The hunter made a pause.  
"I was born human, Kuran, born to live one lifespan and no longer. And yet, by the courtesy of a fellow pureblood of yours, I am still alive after more than 150 years. All humans I had known from the days when I was young have passed away and still, I show no signs of aging. And all of those humans outside this tent will decay to dust before I physically age even a few days."

The general made a pause. He knew his words had reached the pureblood and he had his attention. Though he looked more like a half-dead corpse, there was a small spark of understanding in the hungry and swirling crimson eyes. His voice softened infinitesimally.

"This then, is your choice: either die slowly by torture of my subordinates - or become my servant for life. There will be no torture from my hands, because I have seen enough of it to last me for eternity. I will not lie - you would be a slave and it would be up to me to treat you as such or not. You and your power would be bound to me in every way but you would otherwise be cared for. I could force this choice upon you, just like you forced your generosity upon me, but I will not. The choice is truly yours. You have one day to consider."

With that, the general got up and left the tent. Back outside, before the dirty flaps of fabric that made up the prisoner's tent, he spoke to the guard.

"He is not to be touched, fed or spoken to until I return."  
"Yes sir."

~{}~

Kaname had already resigned himself to his fate. In the beginning, he had never meant to participate in this war. But when he was forced to chose sides and his sister was in danger, his choice was simple. Yet she hadn't lasted even a decade. He was too late to save her, he could do nothing as she turned to ashes before he could reach her. With vengeance, he had thrown himself into the war - had amounted an army, had fought though there was hardly anyone left. But it was inevitable - alone, even a pureblood could not fend off the hunters indefinitely. Without blood to sustain his energy, his powers needed longer and longer to regenerate. It wasn't like he had had qualms to take what his body needed. During war, he abandoned his ideals about co-existence and fed as any normal vampire would. But fleeing the hunters had limited his resources. They had caught him asleep. It was that simple. Tired and thirsty, he had been dreaming one moment and been charmed and bound the next.

What followed after that was too shameful to speak of. Hauled off by his hair, they had wasted no time tearing the clothes from his body. He had known that it would be painful. Yet nothing had prepared him for being raped. Nothing had prepared him for the sound of his own screams and the incredible agony. He lost track of his sanity in a matter of minutes.

The thought of decades of that kind of abuse was almost unbearable. His body ached everywhere, he wished nothing but to die swiftly. Yet that was clearly not an option. His pride forbade him to become a servant, but who was there to defend his pride? He was the last pureblood and there were hardly any other vampires left to speak of. What would have been a scandalous taboo even two decades ago, bore no relevancy to anyone now. There was no more vampire society that cared about proper treatment of purebloods. He was alone. A pureblood always was. But now more so than ever before. His pride... what was it worth now? It didn't do him any good. It merely amused his captors.

He had been so afraid of more punishment when he heard the soldiers whisper about 'the general'. Everyone knew that Zero Kiryu was the general, that he was responsible for the near-extinction of the vampire race. The hunter-turned-vampire had been mocked and laughed at in the early stages of his life, both among vampires and hunters. But with every kill he had gained respect of his followers and fear of his enemies. Now, nobody laughed at Kiryu anymore. To any vampire, his name was equivalent to death. A tortuously slow and painful death.

After satisfying their needs more than thoroughly, he had managed to snatch up a few bits of their conversations in the short moments of semi-consciousness. 'The general will work him nicely' they said. Or 'when the general gets his hand on this one, the damn vampire's gonna shed rivers of his precious blood.' Hearing those and similar phrases, he had feared an incomprehensible amount of cruelty upon meeting 'the general'. Hearing the heavy steps enter the tent, he had known doom was near. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that his heart had almost stopped in terror.

But that touch - even with the rough leather gloves - Kiryu had been almost... kind. And when he saw the depth of those lilac eyes, he clearly saw their was no cruelty there. The hunter's wish sounded simple and plausible enough. The words he had spoken were true, his eyes hadn't lied. He desired company in his life, the company of one who would live as long as he did. The company of a former enemy, now his slave.

Kiryu was just as alone among the humans as Kaname was.

Could he be a servant to that man? A plaything to the general? He actually believed that Kiryu wouldn't be the heartlessly gruesome monster they made him out to be - perhaps he wouldn't be gentle, he might also force himself on the pureblood, but Kaname was almost certain that he wouldn't be unnecessarily cruel. Could he live like that? Or was death by torture not really the better way to go, before he got his hopes up?

His worn out body let him drift into sleep over the question, but all too soon - as though he hadn't slept at all - he felt himself woken by the sound of heavy steps.

Yesterday he hadn't been alert enough to do much assessing. Kaname felt a bit rested now and was able to at least think straight for a few seconds, though everything hurt. Not being beaten for a day had that effect, he thought grimly. He regarded the impressive man in front of him silently. The last time they had met, apart from yesterday had been over one and a half centuries ago. He was strong and mature now, after so many years of war. He was also weary and distant. The lilac gaze held his with powerful force. The pureblood felt weak under that stare and bowed his head.

"Have you made your choice, Kaname Kuran?"

The pureblood nodded. With his voice barely above a whisper, he spoke.  
"I will serve you."  
He thought he detected a faint smile in the hunter's expression, but his senses were still very clouded and he couldn't be sure.  
"Then so be it."

He called for his guards. Under their gaze, the hunter crouched down in front of him again and reached a hand to Kaname's neck.

"The binding of your power will hurt." he said shortly. Before Kaname could nod in understanding, he already felt the hunter magic caging his remaining strength. His hoarse voice broke as he screamed in pain. Kiryu whispered a few words in an old language. Then it was over. The seal was now on the left side of his throat - mirroring the one Kiryu had himself. But the one he had placed on the pureblood was many times stronger. The pain faded slowly, leaving behind the impression of the charm on his skin. It was the Kiryu symbol of a sevenpointed blade.

"As of now, this vampire, formerly known as Kaname Kuran, is my personal slave, bound to me in every way. He is my property and as such entirely my responsibility and therefore mine to punish or to protect as I see fit. He is to follow my orders only. Is that clear?"

The guards all nodded slowly, clearly finding their general's action not to their liking, but they couldn't very well deny him. After all, it was only due to his efforts that this situation was even possible.  
"Good." Satisfied with their acknowledgment, he dismissed them with a short nod.

Kaname didn't have the time to wonder what would happen next. He was too busy trying to stay conscious from the draining of his power. Though before he had been chained, bound and charmed and thereby bereft of using his abilities, he was now entirely without them. It was a completely different feeling. Usually, he would think of lifting something and his telekinetic powers were there. Charmed by hunter magic, he couldn't use them but they were still there. But now, when he thought about something he formerly could accomplish by thought, there was nothing there. Nothing. It was almost like being unable to remember a color, or the equivalent to missing an arm or his eyesight. He might have been scared if he weren't so exhausted. His body was about to give out, but he feared he might be punished if his body shut down to rest.

When the general - his new master - crouched in front of him, leaning in closely, his chest clenched in terror of what might follow. But the hunter simply undid the restraints. Too weak to support himself, Kaname fell sideways. But he never hit the ground. Kiryu's arms gathered him beforehand. The snow covered fur and leather coat and his coarse bulletproof armor were uncomfortable against his bruised and battered skin, but Kaname didn't complain. He felt the cold hit him fiercely, as the hunter carried his naked body through the winter weather to a different tent, but even at that, he made no sound of protest. As a matter of fact, the cold numbed his wounds and lessened the pain.

All too soon they entered a smaller tent. But this one was warm. The heat brought back all the pain and Kaname couldn't stifle a moan. The hunter laid him into a bathtub and began pouring warm water over his body. Seeing that the pureblood was too weak to wash himself, he washed the bruised skin. He wasn't overly gentle, but to Kaname who had been abused so much, it felt kind and soothing. Wearily, he drifted between waking and dreaming while he was being washed and dried. For the first time in months, his body was laid down on a real bed again, on sheets and under a blanket. Fleeing the hunters he had not known a bed for months and of course after he had been caught, he had chained to a cold floor or smashed against uneven rock.

"Thank You," he whispered. And then remembering that he was now a servant he added. "Kiryu-sama."

"Rest now." the hunter said in a low voice.


	2. Chapter 2

**The General's Prisoner**

This is a short hurt-comfort story in five parts, concentrating on Zero and Kaname and their relationship. It is an experiment of depicting characters who must deal maturely with a terrible past. Reader discretion advised.

~{}~ signifies a change in time or perspective

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately, these awesome characters do not belong to me in any way. They belong to Matsuri Hino, I just love to use them over and over in my twisted stories... ;)

**Summary**: General Zero Kiryu has changed the face of the world, scouring it of the vampire race. Emotionally scarred by years of war and revenge upon all vampires, he nears completion of his life's work when finally the last pureblood is brought before him for judgement. What will his verdict be, when this pureblood is none other than Kaname Kuran, an old enemy from a time long gone?

**Rated M: **implied non-con & violence, emotional M/M lemon (if you're not into M/M, do not read)

* * *

**AN:** Thank you so much for your sweet reviews.

This story was, in fact, inspired by Sagakure's Wasteland - though the images in my mind quickly rearranged into a different story. ^^

While writing 'Unexpectedly Close To The Edge' where I wanted to go for a multitude of character development and complexity of plot, I started writing this with a different intention. Instead of 'Beautiful Things Of Decay' where I just went for sweet PWP, in this story I am aiming for a more subtle and focused character development using less words. I still think the anime provides a lot of character depth and I was just exploring how things might turn out when they age another 150 years and all youthful traits have matured through hard times of war.

So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy, and feel free to let me know what you think.

* * *

**Part II: Servitude**

The pureblood woke three days later, almost fully healed. Carefully taking in his surroundings, he tried to recall how he'd gotten where he was. Slowly, his mind pieced together hours of torture at the hands of those who had found him. The party of hunters who had tracked his steps for more than three weeks woke unpleasant memories as he remembered their delight at finding a pureblood helplessly at their whim.

Humiliated and defiled, they kept him bound naked and emotionally on edge, refusing him warmth, sleep and food, while punching him, letting him bleed unnecessarily and raping him when they felt like it. All of that was horrible as it was, but it wasn't what had his will crumble.

Out of sport, they had interrogated him, force-feeding him hunter potions that ensured that he couldn't lie. It wasn't the secrets relevant to the outcome of this war that they were interested in. Knowing it was a lost cause anyway, Kaname would not have felt bad about having to tell some of those... no - they were interested in his personal weaknesses.

Shamelessly exploiting his vulnerability, those hunters had broken seals in his mind he hadn't even known he had. Utterly drunk after celebrating their victory, they had played a sick version of 'truth or dare' - where the one chosen by the bottle could decide to either ask the prisoner the most humiliating question or force him to do the most humiliating act he could think of. Preferably both...

To his utter shame, the potions had forced him to honestly answer every question they asked and, of course, he had had no means to refuse to accommodate every sick wish they had. He had blacked out a few times, weakened by charms and pain. After that, he remembered finding himself bound and naked waiting for his final verdict, with his judge none other than the famous general Zero Kiryu.

And he had been shocked at what he'd seen. To face him again, after all these years he had expected no mercy from the hunter he had scorned so long ago. But fate was strange and had perhaps smiled upon him. He had expected a slow and painful death. But the hunter had offered another option. It remained to be seen how much better it would be.

His capture marked the end of a long brutal war. Out of weakness - shameful and inexcusable weakness - he, Kaname Kuran, revered pureblood and one of the most powerful vampires that had ever lived, had yielded to the General of Hunters. Because he feared pain. It was unacceptable, but he had chosen to serve the man he had taken advantage of so long ago. Now, his power was sealed and he was no more the powerful creature he had once been. He wasn't anyone special anymore. He was a servant, a slave to the great Zero Kiryu. He could only hope that the hunter had not lied about not caring for violence.

The hunter washed him... The pureblood hoped that it was a good thing, that it was a sign that he wouldn't only suffer. But he could not know for certain. Cautiously, Kaname looked around. His eyes roamed a ceiling. Hadn't he been in a tent? he wondered. He recalled being washed and laid to rest - but now he had woken up somewhere else. It was a bedroom.

"I see your awake." Kiryu's voice startled him. It was so close to his ear. His face snapped toward the voice and he stared. The hunter lay next to him quietly gazing at the ceiling, his bare chest slowly rising and falling in the steady rhythm of his breath. The rest of the hunter's body disappeared beneath the blanket they shared.

"Kiryu-sama...?" he asked nervously. He didn't know what was expected of him. He, of course, had no idea how he was supposed to behave as a servant. Naturally, he had had many servants himself. But vampire customs were unlike hunter customs. And the fact that they were both lying in the same bed under the same blanket was most disconcerting. He resigned himself to what - in his mind - would inevitably follow.

But the hunter didn't move. He just lay there next to his servant and stared at the ceiling. After a long silence he spoke.

"I cannot remember the last time anyone called me by my first name. When we are in private, I would like you to call me Zero."

"Yes, Zero-sama." Kaname answered dutifully.

"Have you healed?" he asked.

"Yes, Zero-sama. Almost entirely." Kaname said quietly. Now that the hunter had returned from his reverie, the pureblood braced himself for groping hands and forced pleasure. Again, there was a long moment of silence in which Kaname was certain that his heartbeat was loud enough to echo across the walls. He didn't dare to look at his new master again - not knowing the proper etiquette was driving him mad. Instead, he unobtrusively surveyed the room, noting the small details that led Kaname to believe it was his master's own bedroom. There was little decor to enhance the room, but it was intended to be a sizeable and ornate bedroom. Still, there were few personal items to speak of anywhere.

"Kaname." The pureblood flinched. Though the voice was actually quiet and unthreatening, Kaname was uncharacteristically jumpy. He was just unused to being almost fully alert anymore and so every color seemed bright and every sound seemed loud and overbearing.

"I realize this is new to you." the hunter began. "It is new to me also. I have never kept a vampire servant."

He sighed.

"They expect me to keep you as a slave for my pleasure, erasing your name from memory, raping you as I please and breaking your will until there is nothing left of you but a broken corpse. Perhaps if we had met fifty years ago, I would have complied with those expectations. But now I have no more interest in delivering pain. I have seen too much of it dealt and I have fought too long to indulge in my hatred anymore. I am too old for that now."

There was a short pause before the hunter continued.

"You can keep your name and I will continue to call you Kaname, here in private. I am sure you have realized already that I lied to the others about the charm. I have only bound a certain amount of your power to myself. Your speed and sensory perception are untouched, as are your healing abilities. It isn't merely out of generosity, but rather I believe you will be more useful to me that way. The binding of your powers ensures that you cannot harm me intentionally. Disobeying me in any other way would result in serious pain for you, which I believe is not in your interest. You are a servant now and pose no threat. Therefore I see no point in crippling your usefulness."

"Thank you for your kindness, Zero-sama." Kaname whispered, though the words barely passed his vocal chords. Hearing so bluntly that he was worth little more than the dirt below the hunter's feet, was difficult to accept for the once so haughty and powerful pureblood.

At that, the hunter turned and faced the pureblood. Kaname tried to return the look unflinching. The lilac eyes gazed at him hard. Years of commanding soldiers showed in the cold look and Kaname's will wavered. Perhaps he had misjudged the hunter. Perhaps he would be cruel... As a pureblood he had never wavered at a contest of staring his opponent down. But that was the past. He was no longer in command.

Zero Kiryu was.

The general's gaze locked with his, refusing to release him and left no room for doubt about the honesty of the words that followed.

"Perhaps I _am_ being kind to you. But make no mistake about this, Kaname. I am a man of war. If you disobey me, I will punish you. I have lost too much to become overly attached. If I deem you unworthy of my protection, I will hand you to my subordinates without second thought. You have met a few rascals among them, but trust me, there are others that are actually skilled at what they do. A handpicked selection of my followers are known for their skill in the art of delivering pain. They managed to drag out Sato's death for almost twenty years. And I guarantee you there wasn't a minute in those twenty years that he didn't feel pain. I do not tolerate disobedience in my soldiers. I will tolerate your disobedience even less. Do I make myself clear?"

Kaname nodded quickly and swallowed heavily.

"Yes, Zero-sama."

"Good." With that, the matter was apparently resolved. The fierce lilac eyes released their hold on him and Kaname sank deeply into the soft mattress, letting out a breath he hadn't known he'd held. Zero turned onto his back, facing the ceiling again before he continued in a quiet voice.

"You are most likely unaware of what it expected of you. You are a pureblood, so I know I have to say things only once for you to understand and follow them. It is fairly simple, and I might have trusted you to find out for yourself, but your lack of knowledge would only earn you punishment in public and a commotion for me. It is therefore undesirable for both of us."

"I suppose you have never had your powers bound. Not only are you not able to use the powers you don't have access to, but by binding your powers I ensured that you cannot leave me. If we part for a certain distance, you will feel pain and as of a certain range you will be forced to follow me involuntarily, preventing you from excruciating agony. Therefore, you will accompany me wherever I go."

"I understand, Zero-sama." Kaname whispered.

"In public, you are expected to walk a step behind me with your head bowed. You will not speak unless spoken to by me and me only. After I am seated, you will kneel beside me to my left. You will not touch me and will not move or make a sound until I get up again. Though you will be expected to wear nothing but a small cloth for decency, I will be the one to decide upon your attire as I see fit."

"I will not lie - to keep up my reputation, I will be less kind to you in public. But I am generally not known for cruelty. They will accept my lenience to a certain extent."

Kaname nodded. He had hoped for something along that line.

"I understand, Zero-sama."

"In private, you would be expected to be chained to my bed with your legs spread to serve me. If anyone ever asks, I might pretend that it is so. But as I said that holds little appeal to me. Instead, I expect you to accommodate me as a manservant would. You will prepare my meals and keep everything clean during the time I am home. I am sure your speed will be of good use to you as I will not linger for you to finish your chores. I have a maid in this house who is now becoming near-sighted and very old. She has served me for over 55 years. You will learn everything she has to teach and you will respectfully call her Imada-sama. She is human and does not know you are a vampire - keep it so. I told her you were not soldier material but that I had saved your family from a vampire attack so you are indebted to me."

"Yes, Zero-sama."

Kaname was a bit startled at this outline of his new life. He hadn't expected it to be so... civil.

"I am also very aware of the fact that you are a vampire and that your body has vampire needs. Naturally, biting a human is out of the question. If ever you cannot control your thirst, there is a small amount of donated blood in the house that you may use. I judge you to be aware of the fact that it is not to be wasted. It is one of the more positive features of having your power bound. Not using it saves energy. You will notice that you will hardly be thirsty after a while."

Zero turned to face him with a patient look.

"I am not by nature a cruel man, Kaname. When I was young I was angry and filled with hatred. But even I managed to mature over time. I do not wish for anyone to suffer needlessly, including you. Therefore, here is a piece of advice for you. Forget your life as a pureblood - its memory will only leave you craving for something that has passed. Forget the life of planning battles and sacrificing pawns. That is over now."

"I am giving you tasks to provide you with purpose. Immerge yourself in them. Your purpose is now to serve me. Devote your energy to that and you will be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment. You need not kneel beside me in private, I am perfectly content if you finish your work and keep me company. While there is nothing to do, you may read anything you can find in this house that is of interest to you excluding confidential reports. If it makes you happy, you may paint or write as you please."

"Yes, Zero-sama." Kaname looked at him a bit startled.

"That is all for now. You will wash yourself and dress. Then Imada will be waiting for you." The hunter rose from the bed. Kaname followed suit.

Time to begin his new life.

~{}~

Kaname learned very quickly. Kiryu-sama hadn't drugged or incapacitated him in any way that would interfere with his mental abilities and - following his master's advice - he devoted his energy to service. He found it challenging at first. Being the pampered prince he was, he had much to learn. But in less than two weeks, he had made a lot of progress. Following a human schedule, he could cook now and properly clean the place and launder clothes. Furthermore, he had managed not to step out of line in public. Even though he never looked up, he could feel unpleasant eyes undressing him, wishing to use him. He was most grateful for the fact that Kiryu dressed him in a simple black shirt and slacks, instead of parading his almost nude body among the greedy onlookers.

In public, his master issued clipped orders in a cold voice and he followed obediently. When Kiryu spoke like that, Kaname was always reminded of the other hunters that had tortured him so brutally. Every single time he heard the cold voice, he cringed in fear as it reminded him of his place. That alone was enough for him to work hard to never disobey. He shuddered at what punishment might await him if he did. So he hadn't made a mistake once.

The first days had been difficult on him, not only because he had much to learn. Though outwardly healed, his body greedily demanded sustenance. Ever since the beginning of this war, the pureblood had resorted to drinking blood. Usually not human blood if he had the choice, but he had had no more qualms about it in times of need. Still, he had enough control over himself to heal without blood now. He would truly only touch the donated blood when he really, really needed it.

Contrary to his initial worries, Kiryu didn't once make a move to touch him. Actually, when he thought about it, he had no skin contact with the hunter at all. He cleaned the house and prepared the hunter's meals, serving them with the same quiet reservation he had expected of his own servants. When in private, they hardly spoke, though Kiryu would compliment him on the food every day.

Of course, Kaname's sleeping schedule was a big issue during the first few days. He had great difficulties with being awake during the day and asleep at night. But he got used to it faster than he expected, because the hunter's daily routine was a strenuous one and Kaname was very tired at the end of each day. Kiryu usually woke early, having a light breakfast and reading the daily news. Then, Kaname would sit silently facing the ground through hours of his personal training, hunter meetings and inspections. After that, he would come home late and read reports until long after his dinner. He slept only a few hours before he began the routine again. This went on for six days of the week. Only on one day did the General rest a bit longer and take it slower. But he never left out his daily training.

The only time when they were close was at night, when they slept in the same bed. The pureblood wondered at this, as he thought it odd that the General wanted his servant sleeping with him in his bed if it didn't include obvious nocturnal activities. Kaname had feared the first nights as he lay naked beside the hunter. But as two weeks passed and his master had not so much as touched him once, Kaname did not mind much anymore. On the contrary, he found it was actually very pleasant not to be alone at night.

As an aftereffect of his being caught and interrogated, Kaname often had horrible nightmares plaguing him. Waking up drenched in sweat, he was soothed by the sleeping presence of his master. It was ridiculous that a pureblood vampire should feel that way, but without his power he truly was very weak and it gave him a different perspective. He was a slave, a vampire slave at the mercy of the strongest vampire hunter of that day. But somehow, in private, he hoped to be protected by his master. Because the longer he served him, the more impressive he became to Kaname.

~{}~

Two years had passed and contrary to many of his follower's beliefs, Zero was not ensnared by the pureblood's lure. Naturally, pureblood vampires were known to be extravagant deceivers. They would pretend to be all you wanted them to be and before you knew it, you were their slave and they had achieved their goal. But that applied only when there was something to achieve. In this world, there was no place for vampires anymore. Even freedom would not help him. He would only be caught again and a much crueller fate would catch up with him then. A swift death was most likely the only thing that held any appeal to him.

But Zero knew this pureblood was not without pride. In fact, he knew a lot about this particular pureblood. Kaname Kuran had many secrets and though torture may have revealed some, you didn't get the right answers if you didn't know what questions to ask. Naturally, all the interrogating hunters had spilled to him what they had found out about his servant. But they hadn't learned the most important thing about this vampire. They had managed to find out a few things that were of minor interest, and mostly details of his personal life that Zero was not surprised at.

The general had spent years studying vampires and purebloods in particular. And among them, the 'last' heir of the Kuran family was special.

Usually, purebloods were cruel and almost soulless. But Kaname Kuran was not. Zero knew this for certain because they shared a history. And strangely enough the hunters had not picked up on that at all despite their interrogation. To them, he was a pureblood like all others. But Zero knew he was not. He was the Ancestor - in a new body, perhaps but the Ancestor nonetheless. And that was not the only thing that made him special.

Contrary to the usual pureblood offspring, Kaname had a gentle heart. A deeply buried, ancient and weary, but gentle heart. It was the only reason why their agreement worked, Zero knew. After so many years of war and bloodshed, Zero was looking for someone akin to himself. He was weary of being alone. But he couldn't allow himself to get attached to humans - they all perished before he showed so much as a sign of aging. He was not a pureblood, he did age. But it was so slow that it would be hundreds of years before it was noticeable. And by the time he was that old, he would really be the last vampire left.

He would be the only one of his kind and he would die alone. He had hoped to die in battle - yet here he was, his goal nearly achieved, still not dead. That was truly the reason behind giving the pureblood this option. All of Zero's efforts had gone into destroying his own race. Kaname was now one of the few vampires left who could remain with him. Until now, he hadn't trusted him enough to show him how deep that need went, but perhaps some day he might. If anyone would understand, then the pureblood Ancestor might.

At first, he hadn't cared much for the other vampire. He didn't trust him and kept him at his side day and night to observe him. But now he rather enjoyed the brunette's company. He was quiet and reserved much like Zero was himself. He was very well educated - even for someone of his status and they had begun talking every now and then.

Over the years, Zero had learned to read all subtle nuances of expressions so he could even read purebloods who were well versed at hiding their emotions very carefully. He had much time to observe Kaname unobtrusively and so it came as no surprise that when there were slight changes in the pureblood's behavior, he noticed.

At the early stages of their relationship, Kaname had been entirely eager not to make a single mistake for fear of punishment. After a few weeks had passed, he had begun to be less jumpy and more reserved, but no less attentive. Now, after two years, the pureblood's gaze had changed when he looked at his master. Even the tone of his speech had changed. It was very subtle. A human would never notice, even lower vampires wouldn't. Only a pureblood would notice. And of course, Zero.

In public, people had gotten used to the general having his servant. However, they were displeased by his lack of brutality in treatment. At one point, a few hunters had approached him and demanded to 'borrow' the slave. Zero had enforced his order that he was not to be touched or spoken to by anyone but himself. There had been several attempts at stealing his servant and brutalizing him. But Zero had always been there in time to avoid further, more traumatizing treatment. He insisted that Kaname was his property and stealing or damaging his property was punishable by law.

It was in the wake of these occurrences that the pureblood's attitude changed most perceptibly. He was still quiet and reserved. His attentiveness and obedience lacked nothing. No one would have seen it, he appeared to simply be an obediant servant. But the hunter had a keenly trained perception and the pureblood's eyes gave him away. There was more than polite servitude in his gaze when he spoke with him. Kaname had began to look at Zero with adoration.

~{}~

"Zero-sama?" Kaname asked quietly. Speaking loud was unpleasant to both their sensitive hearing and they avoided it. Currently, they were lying in bed enjoying the quiet before nodding off to sleep. It had been a strenuous day with much shouting and debating in the meetings Zero had sat through. Within the military, that was unusual - an order was given and the soldiers obeyed their superiors, it was that simple. But today had been a meeting with politicians and the media. Hunters and humans had no understanding of how sensitive a vampire's hearing was.

"Yes." his master answered.

"Do you find my body repulsive?" The question had been in his mind for so long now, he had to ask it.

There was a long silence in the room. Kaname feared he might have overstepped a boundary and Kiryu would not answer. Even worse, he might be punished. But he had to know. Antsy through the long silence, Kaname gave up on hearing an answer. But finally, his master spoke.

"Your body is both beautiful and desirable to me, Kaname." he said quietly.

The pureblood's breath hitched and his heart beat faster when he hard those words. It was true that he wished the hunter to look at him like that. But he had never seen so much as a hint of his master's interest. His answer was entirely unecpected.

"Zero-sama, I am your servant. You have every right to use my body as you please. Why do you hold back on what you desire?"

The hunter turned to face his servant. Kaname would be lying if he said the sudden attention had no effect on him. His heart raced partly with fear and partly with exitement. Though mostly... with fear.

The hunter's gaze focused on him and Kaname was caught. Of course he feared his master. The power he had over him was nothing short of terrifying. He couldn't suppress flinching when the hunter's hand made contact with his cheek.

But Zero did nothing to hurt him. With patient fingers, he wiped a strand of dark hair out of the pureblood's face. Just the look in his eyes convinced the pureblood that the hunter knew exactly that Kaname had asked this because he longed for him, that the hunter had known already for a long time. His fingertips traced the skin over his cheek bone and came to rest softly upon his lips. There was an unmistakable spark of desire in the lilac eyes, but it vanished and was replaced with a deep sadness. His fingers left the pureblood's lips.

"Just the mere fact that you ask such a question shows how little you know of me." Kiryu's voice was distant.

Kaname regretted asking instantly. Staring up into the quiet sadness in those eyes, he felt like sobbing. He couldn't explain, but lately he had become so incredibly attached to this man that he truly cared for his well-being. Not just because he was his master, but because really cared for the silent hunter's happiness. Seeing him so, was painful in a strange way.

"Forgive me for asking, Zero-sama." he breathed barely audible. He couldn't contain the sadness inside. He had been a servant to this man for more than two years, yet still they were so distant. It hurt so much. Shame crawled up inside his chest, but it made no difference. The tears spilled down his face regardless.

"Why are you crying?" Zero's patient voice asked.

"I wish to make you happy, Zero-sama." Kaname whispered.

"You do." Zero answered simply.

~{}~

The pureblood became more shy and reserved after that. Zero noticed very soon that it wasn't something that passed quickly. Quite the contrary, the pureblood seemed to be seriously put off by that short exchange of emotion. But Zero couldn't bring himself to talk about it again. He wasn't angry with Kaname. But why the pureblood wished for something he clearly feared was beyond the hunter.

The pureblood had already been prone to nightmares as he had noticed before. But ever since that conversation, they had become more frequent and more intense, if the way Kaname tossed and turned at night was anything to go by. Zero woke one night as his servant whispered in his dream. Restlessly clutching the sheets, Kaname breathed heavily.

"Zero-sama... please. Don't leave me..."

In the morning, Kaname remembered none of it, but Zero was rather curious. He hadn't expected the pureblood to ever truly become attached to him. But if it followed him into his dreams, perhaps one day...

The next time Kaname woke him up in the middle of the night, panting and sweating, Zero laid an arm across the pureblood's shivering frame. The pureblood didn't wake entirely, but he instinctively grasped the warm arm tightly. It was rather endearing that just that small gesture was enough to calm him down in his sleep.

When he woke the next morning, Kaname found that he was still clutching the hunter's heavy arm.

By now he knew the hunter too well to assume it was an accident. His master must have comforted him during a dream, though he himself couldn't remember waking up. Touched by the small token of his master's care, Kaname kissed the knuckles of Zero's hand in thanks. The movement woke the General, but contrary to Kaname's fear, he didn't pull away as he caught his servant's lips at his hand.

From then on, Kaname would always shyly ask for his hand before falling asleep.

~{}~

It was almost three years now that the hunter had taken Kaname in as his servant. The quiet pureblood found himself to be rather content as long as they were in private. Zero had a quiet personality, Kaname observed over the entire time. He was always alert though. His senses were extraordinary. Especially for the fact that he was actually a Level D vampire. The hunter was straightforward in everything he did. The entire world of hunters was much much different from that of vampires. Kaname was happy that nothing was required of him, but docile behavior. It gave him the time to study them, even if he never looked up.

Zero was not their general for nothing. There was little to none of the ceremonial display of etiquette that vampires favored. Hunters relied on strength and stubbornness only. Those who lead were the ones who had proven their value. It had nothing to do with blood lines or sniveling courtesy. It didn't matter if your blood line ran true for generations - if you couldn't fight, you didn't get far. When proven in battle, even the underdog could rise to fame. There was a simplistic beauty in that, Kaname had to admit.

Kaname had never studied the ways of the hunters except the parts that were interesting during a war. He found they were primitive some of the time - they had no sense for refined treachery, they didn't delight in seductive games of deadly pleasure. They hunted and killed and if they felt like it, they raped. But it there was little backstabbing or strategic treachery among them. They may be brutal, but they were honest.

Among them, Zero was jewel of steadfast power and honesty. He was revered for his stubbornness and skill in battle. And even though someone in his position now would never truly have to fight anymore, he trained with fervor and proved his strength every day anew. Kaname marveled at the discipline and will power he showed during his daily routine. He never allowerd himself to show if he had a bad day. Kaname would know at times that he felt worn out on some days or thirsty for blood on others. But toward his men, he never wavered or showed any weakness. Kaname truly admired him for that.

And that's when he realized how much he himself had should have been struggling to regain his power and position, should be fighting to regain his honor, yet he found that he didn't want to part from this man anymore. But the thought that would have scared him just a year ago was now a welcome one. Reports of killed vampires were becoming more and more scarce and Kaname knew the day was very close, when there would be no other vampires left.

Zero was now all he had. But even that was no longer frightening. Quite the contrary, he embraced that thought.

In a sense, he was free. No longer was he bound to the customes of vampire society, but instead he realized that here, in docile servitude to a hunter, he had begun to enjoy the time he had. He was leading the simple life of a peasant. And after he understood this, he appreciated it. It was oddly precious to him. How often had he wished that no one would put him into a spot light, bow to him out of courtesy when stabbing his back was their true agenda - but here he had time and space.

When he finished his work, he felt happy to have accomplished something. Something for someone else. And not just anyone... but he had done it for Zero. And then he had time to enjoy himself and nobody would knock and interrupt him, nobody would look at him strangely for not behaving royally. He was free. He had little responsibility now and it was as though a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. And so, following the advice of his master, he had taken to literature and art. He had never felt so peaceful than during those hours, when Zero sat and read reports and he sat beside him, reading or sketching.

How ironic, that sitting here, serving his enemy, he felt more at peace than during any other time of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

**The General's Prisoner**

This is a short hurt-comfort story in five parts, concentrating on Zero and Kaname and their relationship. It is an experiment of depicting characters who must deal maturely with a terrible past. Reader discretion advised.

~{}~ signifies a change in time or perspective

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately, these awesome characters do not belong to me in any way. They belong to Matsuri Hino, I just love to use them over and over in my twisted stories... ;)

**Summary**: General Zero Kiryu has changed the face of the world, scouring it of the vampire race. Emotionally scarred by years of war and revenge upon all vampires, he nears completion of his life's work when finally the last pureblood is brought before him for judgement. What will his verdict be, when this pureblood is none other than Kaname Kuran, an old enemy from a time long gone?

**Rated M: **implied non-con & violence, emotional M/M lemon (if you're not into M/M, do not read)

* * *

**AN:** OMG! So much attention all of a sudden! I'm blushing from head to toe... You give me too much credit! Though of course I am honored by your wonderful reviews and I'm happy you like it so much, I'm still at the point where I just hope to not disappoint you with every chapter I post. So... uhm... thank you so much for the praise. It means a lot to me.

Of course I wouldn't dare to abandon such avid readers by not finishing a story. ^^

So here it is - again, feel free to let me know what you think.

* * *

**Part III: Desperation**

One slip, one mistake was all it took. After nearly four and a half years of perfect servitude, Kaname had somehow wronged his master and without once looking at the wretched creature, Zero Kiryu dragged the whimpering vampire to the dreaded prison cells, neither of the two caring to heed the gleeful looks of the pleased onlookers. Kiryu's strength was unfailing as he forced him to follow, even though the pureblood knew him to be gravely wounded. Kaname did not struggle as the hunter's strong hands roughly stripped him of his clothing and slammed him hard against the wall.

Consumed by hopelessness and painfully aware of his pitiful appearance, he raised his eyes toward his master, pleading in silence as his body connected harshly with the hard surface. He feared what he saw there in the hunter's eyes, but he bore that fear in the vain hope of just the smallest sign of mercy. In Kaname's mind it made no sense. He knew this man to be gentle and soft spoken. Not once had he raised a hand against him. Feeling the evidence of Kiryu's strength hurting his own body didn't connect at all with his mind. It was like this man was not Zero Kiryu anymore. This was an angry, powerful hunter, not his master.

But his hope was in vain and his pleading to no avail. Not a single command from the General's lips gave Kaname a chance at redemption, not a word was spoken to allow him some insight as to what he had done wrong. The hunter just slammed him against the concrete until his blood coated the crumbling wall.

With a blinding pain to the pureblood's bruised body, the angry hunter changed the charm that bound the pureblood to himself. Kaname felt his remaining power drain into nothingness as the invisible slave bond between himself and the General was extinguished. In its place, invisible chains tightened painfully around his body giving him a taste of the horrors about to come. He could not move, he felt painfully constricted and panic surged through his chest as the mental hunter charms sliced through his flesh unseen.

He was going to be tormented for a very long time. Dread filled him. And panic. But as unyielding hunter metal locked around his throat, he couldn't bring himself to speak. Tears of desperation rolled down his face when saw the hunter's forbidding expression. It told him all he needed to know.

It was over.

He could only plead for forgiveness with his eyes - but the look in Kiryu's lilac gaze was as cold and stern as it had been when they had met four and a half years ago. Apparently, there was nothing at all between them. Kaname was a vampire prisoner again and nothing more - as though the past four and a half years had been nothing but a dream.

A cruel looking man was beckoned forward, but Kaname barely registered the movement in the shadows, because all his attention was held by the powerful General, formerly his master. When he spoke it was indeed his voice, yes..., but it was so cold... so distant... so painfully harsh. It was so different from the voice he had grown to adore that it took a long time for the actual meaning of the words to manifest in his mind.

"The vampire is yours now. Keep him alive for a long time." Kiryu said mercilessly. And then, without a glance back, he walked out.

The pureblood was too heartbroken to care. He couldn't understand what he had done wrong - he had wanted to help. But now it made no difference. Nothing mattered anymore. No one would care for him. He would rot in this dungeon, screaming in pain until his body finally gave out. He barely heard the snickering laughter of his tormentor, telling him to prepare himself for hell. He should have been shivering in fear. He should have been shaking with the knowledge of what he would have to endure...

But when his Zero-sama walked out the door without so much as a glance back, Kaname's heart just crumbled. It didn't matter now anymore - nothing mattered. He would hardly even feel the pain at all. Whatever awaited him, he would not feel it. His soul was already dead.

When the lashes fell, there was no sentient being left in his body. That part of him had been shut down entirely. He was mindless. It was the only way to exist in a world of pain and loneliness. And for him, now there was only pain. Always. He no longer questioned why or who or how many or how long. He didn't think at all anymore. Knowing he would die here, in this hell hole, he decided the minute his master left that he would not try to survive. No matter how pathetic he might become, it simply did not matter. He was already dead, he only had to wait for his body to fall apart.

~{}~

With heavy steps that echoed eerily in the silence, the General stepped before the door of a cell that held the remnants of a vampire's body. His lilac gaze easily swept over the signs that showed that the last pureblood would not last the night.

Kiryu's approach marked the anniversary. Ten years had passed since the pureblood had been handed over to the dungeons. Still, Kaname Kuran was being held in the same cell he had last left him, ten years ago. The pureblood had been mutilated and raped in so many ways that his body was barely recognizable as humanoid. He was nothing but truncated flesh, charred and bloody without much of his sensory perception, except nerve endings to feel pain. Torture had merely been interrupted for the General's inspection, but the reprieve would not last - the tormenting hunter was waiting just a step away in the shadows for his General's order to continue.

Kiryu entered the cell with his usual unhurried steps and inspected the pureblood closely. It was a gruesome sight. Some of the less hardy guards turned green and quickly left the confining walls, but the General showed no reaction whatsoever. There was some quiet whispering among the remaining guards. It wasn't normal for a pureblood to give up so easily. Their pride usually forbade them to do so. The prison guards were all astounded that his body showed signs of decay so soon. They had prepared themselves to prolong the suffering of this last pureblood to lengths unheard of. But there seemed no spirit left within this vampire as his skin began to tear into smoking edges.

"It is time." Kiryu said, silencing the whispers.

"He has suffered enough." the General announced. "I will be the one to end the torment for the last pureblood."

"Sir?" His lieutenant looked at him quizzically. "But your guests are waiting... You shouldn't feel obligated to dirty your hands with the likes of..."

But Kiryu cut him off.

"I will decide that. Do not trouble yourself, I will be there as planned in five minutes. Open the champagne if you will. This won't take long."

"Yes, of course, sir." the lieutenant hurriedly agreed.

General Kiryu held out his hands and whispered a few ancient words. All hunters present knew the charms to execute a vampire. All of them would have recognized them immediately. But no one had ever heard the words to the spell their General was currently performing - of course, no one dared to ask either. There was a blinding light that startled them and forced them to shield their eyes. When they all looked up again, the pureblood's body had dissappeared and fine, glittering dust settled on the bloody, concrete floor.

General Kiryu smiled faintly.

"Sweep the dust. Tomorrow this place will no longer exist. This facility will be shut down, it is no longer needed. But for now, I will speak to all my guests." he ordered.

Zero left the cell. It's scent made him thirsty and nauseous at the same time. But that was not the main reason for his hurry. Nor was the waiting banquet. He intended to hurry because Kaname was waiting.

~{}~

Three storeys higher, he exited the elevator and stepped into a large, decorated hall. All onlookers rose and applauded enthusiastically at his entry. When he stepped up to the speaker's desk, the room fell into a sudden hush. With a sweeping gaze across the audience, General Kiryu lifted his glass of champagne.

"I will not keep you from the buffet for too long." he began and there were chuckles all around the room.

"Today's anniversary is a special one for me. For 165 years, I have fought against vampires, and for the last 5 years, I have the honor of confirming that we have not encountered one single vampire anywhere across the globe."

There were many shouts of acknowledgement and praise, but the General silenced them with just the raising of his hand.

"The last pureblood was kept in this very place for the past ten years. I have decided for this day that it should be over. There is now only dust on the dungeon floor where he was held captive."

There was thundering applause from the auditorium and this time it took a while for everybody to calm down.

"This is a special moment for all who have fought by my side for so many years, because I declare this war to be over. It is a victory we celebrate today, for the vampire race is now extinct - except for one last vampire. Me."

A hush filled the room. In the dead silence, Zero continued.

"I have fulfilled my duty to you for 165 years. I have lead many hunters and watched very talented and capable fighters rise among the ranks of this organization in battles against bloodthirsty monsters. Fortunately, I can say now that those days are over. And future generations will need these outstanding leaders when they face new challenges. I may not look it, but I am old now and it is time for me to leave things in other capable hands. Therefore, I am resigning as of this moment. I will no longer involve myself in the affairs of the world, it is now other people's duty to do so. With that said, I encourage you to celebrate."

He lifted his glass. "To the future."

~{}~

It was surprisingly easy to dissappear shortly after that - declaring the buffet for opened did the trick. People were so predictable sometimes. But it served Zero well. He had important matters to worry about - a wounded pureblood was waiting.

Kaname's body lay on the soft mattress, where the hunter had brought him to just a few minutes ago. His charm had by no means killed the pureblood, but instead, had teleported him away and returned some strength to his weakened body after revoking his binding. The dust was fake - a Level E's dust, enough to convince the other hunters that he was now dead. No one would ever look for the pureblood again. And now that he had retired himself, Zero would not be bothered much either.

Obligations would not bar his way anymore.

With great patience, the former general went to work, cleaning the pureblood's horribly mutilated body and wrapping him in healing bandages. Bathing would have to wait - he was too torn apart for that to be helpful - perhaps in two days he could try that. When he was satisfied with his handiwork, he sliced a gash into his arm. Carefully, he fed his blood into the broken body where a mouth should have been. The pureblood remained unresponsive until the blood touched what was left of his mouth. No sound came from the torn vampire, but his body jerked slightly as he unconsciously learned to swallow again.

After a few minutes, Zero's wound closed and the blood flow stopped. Now he would wait.

~{}~

Kaname woke, the sound of waves and sea gulls around him. He was amazed to have full sensory perception again. And to have it be something so sweet... tears rolled down his face as more sounds enveloped him. He didn't question why he was being tortured in one moment and was listening to the sounds of the sea in the next, he just purely enjoyed it. Nothing hurt for these precious seconds and that was so wonderful in itself that he didn't care what had brought on this moment. A gentle breeze caressed his cheek and he tentatively let his eyelids reveal where he was, still fearing that this was all a dream and he would open his eyes to find himself back in reality in the dungeon.

"Good evening, Kaname."

It was the voice the pureblood had longed to hear above all others. The soothing baritone that made him feel warm inside every time he heard it. The voice he had thought he would never hear again. His heart was so moved by just that gentle sound that it let a tear slip past his lashes.

"Zero-sama." he said in quiet reverence, his voice thick.

He found himself resting in a comfortable sun lounger, the pink shreds accross the horizon indicating that the sun had set just a few minutes ago. He was dressed in a pair of dark slacks and a black shirt - just like he had always worn as Zero-sama's servant. The hunter was sitting in another lounger next to him in similar clothing, his lilac gaze fixed upon the pureblood. He shook his head.

"Just Zero, Kaname."

Kaname stared at him. Not only was he sure he had misunderstood his words, but the hunter looked worn out and tired, pale and almost... sickly.

"You look well. Have you healed?" the hunter asked, gazing at him intently.

Kaname's confusion at this strange turn of events had his mind clouded and slow to react. Of all the things that could have captured his attention, Kaname had eyes for one thing only - the hunter's features. And what he saw worried the pureblood. It was... wrong that he looked so worn out, so pale and... weary. Had he just been asked a question?

"Yes..." he remembered nervously to answer. It was almost like the last time he had woken after torture next to the silver-haired hunter. Again, he didn't quite know how to behave or what was expected of him. But this time, when Kaname took inventory of his condition he realized something shocking. He had his full strength. None of his powers were bound. He was entirely himself again as a pureblood vampire and in full control of all of his abilities.

"Why...?" he began. "Forgive me... Zero-sama." he said quickly, realizing it was not his place to question the hunter.

"You are free, Kaname." Zero said quietly. There was an odd look in his eyes now. Somewhere between relief and regret, as far as the thoroughly confused pureblood could tell. The words made no sense at all. Nothing made sense. It couldn't be real, Kaname decided. This was a dream in his torture delirium. Nothing else. It had to be.

The hunter turned his weary gaze away. "You're not a slave anymore, you're not a prisoner and not a servant, Kaname. You are you - Kaname Kuran. And I am just Zero. No more general or master. I gave back all your power after I used it to bring us here. So you are free. You may go... wherever you wish to go. I trust you can evade the hunters now that they think you are dead."

It was all too much at once for the pureblood. "How...?"

The hunter didn't look at him, his eyes still fixed on the horizon of a darkening sky as he answered haltingly.

"You and I are the last of our kind. I faked your death so you could... No one will come looking for you again. I have retired from military service, my duty is fulfilled... I have enough money for just about anything I want and I liked this place. So I live here now. I thought it was... beautiful."

"Why did you bring me here?" Kaname demanded. He was irritated that nothing made sense, that everything was so unlike it should be, that the hunter was somehow not himself. He was so caught up in his need for understanding that he almost missed the quiet whisper that left the hunter's lips.

"I... care for you." he confessed. "I never... intended to let you... die. I know it sounds selfish - but I don't want to be the only one to live so long. I had hoped... that perhaps..."

Zero looked at him with the softest expression Kaname had ever seen on that face. It stabbed him directly into his heart. This was somehow important, the pureblood knew. But the hunter did not explain.

"... I apologize for being sentimental." he turned his face away from the pureblood again.

There was a long silence.

"What is it you hoped?" Kaname plucked up the courage to ask. "What did you hope... Zero-sama?" he whispered.

For a while, there was no answer and Kaname wondered if perhaps he wouldn't get one at all. But then the hunter's soft baritone picked up where he'd left off.

"I had hoped... that... that perhaps you would want to... stay with me." his voice trailed off into a whisper.

Kaname felt his heart stop.

"You're _asking_ me if I would like to stay?" Kaname asked in astonishment.

Not only was the proposal ludicrous because the hunter could have simply enslaved him, had he so chosen, but the entire request was ridiculous. It was an insult to a full-grown pureblood who had been forced into servitude to ask such a thing. Only years of service stayed his hand before he did something he might have truly regretted. Kaname felt shreds of his former pride arise within him - most likely because he had his powers back.

He didn't attack the hunter, but he appeared before him, towering over him and glaring at the pale face that was once his master. Humorlessly, he growled in a low voice.

"First you send me to the butchers and now you want me to stay with you?"

The former general sighed quietly, seemingly unimpressed by the angry pureblood aura surrounding him. His tired lilac eyes showed no fear - only sadness.

"You needn't stay, Kaname. As I have said, you are free to go." this time the bitterness and regret were unmistakable in his voice.

"I want an answer... _hunter_." he retorted. "You made me a slave, you kept me in servitude, then you let me rot in the torture chambers and now you tell me you care and want me to _stay_? I will not go anywhere until you tell me why!"

The former general gazed straight at Kaname. It was as it had always been - the lilac eyes were too powerful to resist. Their gaze was weary and sad, but had lost none of their power. Of course he could have chosen to resist them, but inside Kaname felt his defenses crumble. It was wrong, this weariness, this bitterness, this sadness in those eyes.

"You want to know why I did what I did, Kaname?" he asked quietly.

"Do you really want to know all of it?" he whispered.

"Yes." Kaname commanded, forcing an angry edge to his voice. But the hunter remained unimpressed.

"At least now you will understand."

Zero closed his eyes as though in defeat and spoke quietly.

"I, too, was a prisoner to those butchers, Kaname. I, too was held captive by the hunters and tortured for 7 years."

Kaname stared at him in disbelief. "You... were a... prisoner once.. ?"

Zero looked up at him, his eyes clear and open. "Yes."

Then he added ruefully. "I killed my brother, remember?"

There was a long silence. At last, Kaname asked the most pressing question on his mind. His anger had all but evaporated at this new piece of information.

"How did you...?" he didn't need to finish the question.

"Yagari. He did everything he could to get me out of there again. But it took years..." Kaname just stared at the hunter.

"So you were... raped and... truncated and..."

Zero nodded. And pierced, and beaten, broken and burned... the list went on simultaneously in both their heads.

"O God..." Kaname looked devastated. His anger entirely forgotten, the pureblood felt only raw sympathy.

"You... a Level D... How did you... survive 7 years?"

Zero gave a mirthless snort. "Being a hunter helped. Knowing they were right about me being a monster... didn't. But what can I say - I was born as stubborn as the Kiryu bloodline comes. I knew that after what I had done I didn't deserve to die so easily." he conceded.

Kaname almost nodded slowly. Zero didn't have the benefit of being able to let go of his mind like Kaname had. Kaname was able to entirely zone out for the torture. It didn't lessen the physical pain, but it hazed the memory. And it denied access into his mind - because the mind wasn't there. But Zero had chosen the worst path to live through that time. The hunter had accepted it as his rightful punishment.

To believe you deserved every lashing and every beating... Kaname's fingers trembled at the thought. He still towered above the hunter, but now he regretted his rashness. Again, his eyes were captivated by Zero's. Even without a clear command in his tone, those eyes drew his gaze inexorably. Even if nothing about him physically showed his age - it was suddenly all there in his eyes. All the pain and hardship was right there. Kaname was so mesmerized that he was slow to hear his next words.

"I cannot erase those memories, Kaname. I cannot undo what they have done to me in that cell. I know I wasn't innocent. I knew I deserved to be punished for what I had done... But... does anyone deserve to be raped...?"

Kaname felt something inside him fall apart. It truly broke his heart to think of the hunter in one of those cells. To think that this man - the embodiment of strength - had been chained and beaten and brutally raped... Never in a million years would that possibility have crossed Kaname's mind.

"How did you... go on afterward...?" Kaname asked. He wanted to hug the hunter, comfort him somehow, but he didn't know if he had the right to do so.  
Zero gave a soft snort.

"I trained every waking minute of my life to get the revenge I thought was justified. I wanted to eradicate the disease that made me the monster I am. For years I passed on the cruelty I had been subjected to. I did nothing else. There _was_ nothing else."

"Did you torture them...?" Kaname asked quietly, dreading the answer.

There was a long moment of silence again. But then Zero shook his head.

"No." he said in a voice laced with bitterness. "I interrogated them, but I never went beyond charms and punches. The memories of how it feels are too clear. It taught me well to control my anger."

Again, there was a long silence.

"You trained every waking minute? Surely, there must have been more... Did you never fall in love?" Kaname asked hopefully.

"Love? After that? No." the hunter shook his head. "At first I was blinded by my hatred. Then I was certain that I did not deserve love. By the time that changed, I realized that I could never be together with anyone. The memories were still too clear. A human would have long forgotten. But I couldn't. I still can't. I was the General. They respected me. They obeyed me. Some of them worshipped me. But they didn't love me, Kaname. In their eyes I am not human. No one thought it odd that I showed no interest in finding a partner. So I have never touched anyone since. Not... for over 170 years." Zero's voice trailed off in a whisper.

"No..." Kaname sank to his knees in front of the hunter. Unbelievingly, he let his fingers lightly trace Zero's cheek. He could feel the hunter tremble under that touch bearing testament to the lack of physical closeness during his life. Kaname could only stare. He was truly devastated that the hunter who had seemed to be so strong had been scarred so terribly that he wouldn't even share intimacy with anyone for so long. But the hunter hadn't finished his story.

"I thought I didn't deserve to find love. I thought I had only my purpose to fulfill and then I would take my life. Then... they found you."

Kaname's fingers froze where they lightly touched the hunter's cheek.

"I realized you would be the only one who might understand. You are the Ancestor, in a way, the only one of your kind. I offered you to stay with me for the most selfish of all reasons. I wondered if it was possible - if I could let you come close to my heart and my body, if my mind would allow it... and I thought that perhaps..."

The pureblood stared at the hunter in utter astonishment - the lilac eyes were filled with hurt, pouring forth indescribable vulnerability, such as he had never seen the hunter show before. Actually, he had never seen so much open vulnerability from anyone ever before.

When he had given the pureblood that choice, he had said he was meant to live no more than one life span. That everyone he knew would die before he even showed a sign of aging. Who could have guessed the true depth behind those words?

Who could have guessed that General Zero Kiryu wasn't looking for a life-long slave but for a... partner?

Naturally, during his servitude, Kaname had guessed that there was more to the silent hunter than he let on. Just the fact that he didn't treat a pureblood vampire with contempt gave birth to that tiny shred of hope. But Kaname had attributed it to the hunter's wish for company and to his gentle heart. Until the night he had asked the burning question in his mind, he hadn't even _known_ if the hunter found his body desirable. He was a pureblood - it was taken for granted that his body was desirable, but in Zero's behavior he had not noticed even the smallest bit of attraction. The hunter conceiled his thoughts and feelings far too well. Until Kaname had asked, he hadn't known anything about the hunter's thoughts on their relationship. He might have asked him more but the blow to his budding emotions had been too harsh. He hadn't understood the rejection.

"You wanted to know why I didn't use your body." How Zero knew what he was thinking about, eluded the pureblood. There was too much that he didn't understand about this man. He could only listen to the tale of this man's life that he apparently knew so little about, despite serving him for years.

"The answer is simple." Zero explained quietly. "I couldn't. If... If you had been evil, I wouldn't have hesitated to shoot you, but I knew you weren't. And even if you had been - I couldn't have... raped you. When you suggested it, I... I realized you didn't understand..." Zero averted his eyes and stared out past the pureblood at the night sky.

Kaname bit his lip. He hadn't _known_, he _couldn't_ have known - but he realized now what that must have felt like. He was about to stammer something, but Zero interrupted him, his tone forbidding with a ring of finality to it.

"And then... you offered me to drink your blood."

There was a long and pregnant silence. Kaname didn't know what to say. He withdrew his hand from the hunter's face judging by the sound of his voice that it had no place there. Still, the hunter's gaze slowly swept the horizon.

"I haven't had a drop of blood for over 170 years, Kaname."

The pureblood's eyes widened. This couldn't be true. This Level D vampire in front of him had not once in 170 years...

"You must be starving..." he whispered.

Zero closed his eyes.

"Yes."

It was a whispered confession that he seemed to be horribly ashamed of. Kaname had no words for his emotions. He was torn between admiration bordering on awe and incredible sadness at the deprivation this man had endured. Again, he had the intense urge to hug him, to care for him and to put him back together. But he didn't trust himself anymore with this man who was such an enigma to him.

As though he knew that Kaname didn't quite grasp what he meant, Zero explained patiently.

"Ichiru's blood completed me as a hunter. The amount of Shizuka's blood he had in his blood stream was enough to stabilize me. I am a full hunter - I do not need blood to keep me strong. And I am a stable Level D - I do not need blood to keep from falling. But I am still a vampire - I can hear the call for blood roar loudly throughout my body. I killed my brother and devoured his essence. It has made me strong and I have paid for it dearly. I am still paying that debt. And I will continue to pay for it with every breath that I take. In order to be a hunter I was never allowed to show weakness. I was never allowed to show bloodlust - ever. It didn't matter if I was wounded close to death. When I left that prison I had to vow that I was cured, that I would never need blood again, that their so-called 'treatment' had taken effect."

The pureblood felt his throat constrict. It was a miracle Zero had survived the dungeon, being only a Level D, being so convinced of his guilt. It was a miracle he had picked up a life again with those constraints and been successful at it. It was even more of a miracle that he had become what he was. And yet, the pureblood began to understand only now what loneliness the hunter must have endured all that time.

It hurt almost physically to learn all this and how very slowly, it all made a horrible kind of sense.

"I knew they couldn't stand that I treated you without cruelty. I knew Internal Affairs would try to kidnap you to make me look like a fool for wanting you back. I also knew the only way to stop them was to be wounded myself. Attacking me would reflect badly on them, no matter the cause and even if they took you they would have to give you back. It was the only way to save you. I took two bullets for you, Kaname."

Kaname hung his head. "I know." he whispered.

It had looked almost like an accident. Zero had been clever enough not to let it look like he was saving his slave. To the hunters it had looked like an unfortunate coincidence that he barged in through the door with a command for his slave the same instant they shot at Kaname. But the pureblood knew Zero had saved him. And that was why he had felt the need to offer his blood as a thanks.

He had been raised with the knowledge that a pureblood's blood was sacred. Allowing someone else to drink it, was considered the highest honor there was in the vampire world. Even if he was a slave and the honor at receiving it was lost, his blood was still pure and still had all its healing abilities. In that moment, it hadn't occurred to him that his offer might offend the hunter.

Zero's face became forbidding and bitter.

"I have control, Kaname, I have control way beyond what you know. But I saved you from their clutches, provided you with what I could within the confinement of my social corset. I let them shoot me for you. And thus was I repaid? How could you tempt me like that? Your blood above anyone else's is the most tempting to me, you know this. It brought me back from the brink of insanity. How could you turn on me like that? How dare you wait for a weak moment of mine and then tempt me like that with your blood?"

Kaname swallowed thickly. He couldn't have known how _wrong_ his attempt at helping him was. Even so, perhaps the hunter might have forgiven him if he hadn't been forced to abandon his needs so wholly. But how was he to know the hunter's emotions ran so deep? He would never have guessed that his pain was engraven into his soul so harshly, that he had been hurt so badly. That he was forced to endure so much. He hadn't known. How could he have _ever_ known...?

The hunter's voice continued, a bit unstable now.

"I wanted to hate you, Kaname. But I couldn't." The lilac eyes burned with shame now. "I didn't turn when I left you in that prison. But it wasn't because I hated you. It was because... if I had looked back... even once, I would have done the unforgivable in the their eyes and pardoned you. I thought I could lock you away. But with you, I locked away my heart in that prison."

A tear slid down the pureblood's cheeks unbidden. He hadn't known. He hadn't... known. He remembered how the hunter had laid an arm around his shoulders in comfort one night. He hadn't known at that time how much it truly meant. He hadn't known that he was the gloriously innocent receiver of the most intimate touch Zero had probably granted anyone in over a century.

He hadn't known.

But how _could_ he have known?

"I tapped the cameras, Kaname." he whispered. "I watched them torture you, just to catch a glimpse of your face, just to hear your voice, even if it was contorted in pain. Soon I did not sleep anymore until you blacked out and I could see your face in slumber. I know it is wrong, but I needed you. So I watched and I waited."

The hunter sighed and closed his eyes. And all the weariness and pallor on the hunter's face made a sick kind of sense to the pureblood that instant.

"I saw immediately that you were close to fading. And I couldn't bear the thought of your death. So I brought you here and let them all think that you are dead. I am a selfish man, Kaname. I did everything I could to be their hero. But in truth I am only a selfish man. I have no excuse for it, but that is all I can be."

The pureblood was frozen to the spot, horrified at what he had just heard. His body rooted in shock. And still, Zero continued.

"I have betrayed them all for you. I didn't kill you when I should have tortured you to death. I fed you my blood when I should have punished you with more mutilation for escaping to death so quickly. I returned your power when I should have bound you even tighter to myself. And now I am giving you a choice again. Only this time, your choice is not between a life of servitude to me or your torturous death. You are free to go if you want - not a servant or slave or prisoner. Just because I can never truly enjoy freedom doesn't mean I have the right to take yours. This time, you're deciding on my torturous death. My body will survive without you - but my heart..."

There was a long silence. Kaname stared at the hunter's face as though seeing it for the first time, trying to grasp the enormity of all that he had heard just now. It was almost laughable, really.

He had spent hours steeling glances at this face, hoping against hope that it might be less unapproachable than it seemed. This man had captivated him, had terrified him and had cared for him like no other being ever had. After hearing his story, what right did he have to even wish for his company? It was wrong that this man should even want him. Let alone give away his fragile heart...

"Please if you don't wish to stay with me... leave now... just leave" Zero began, but Kaname silenced him.

"Stop." he said weakly. "Stop." he whispered again. And the hunter did, a look of inevitability ill-conceiled on his face.

"You... watched the entire time?" Kaname asked quietly.

"Yes." the hunter said in a defeated voice.

Every whiplash? Every cut, every stab and bruise? Every rape? Every...

"Oh, my god." Kaname breathed. "You remember what everything feels like, but you watched anyway...? How did you endure seeing them do that?"

"All I saw was you." Tha hunter whispered, a tiny smile of hopelessness on his face. "It was all I looked at - you." Zero answered, his lilac eyes fully open and vulnerable as he looked at the pureblood.

The pureblood lifted Zero's right hand, locking gazes with the confused hunter. Then he softly brushed his lips against the knuckles.

"You cared for me all this time... You call yourself a selfish man, but you truly aren't. You are the most amazing man I have ever met, Zero Kiryu. More special than anyone in this world. I could never leave you. I want to stay with you, Zero. Forever."


	4. Chapter 4

**The General's prisoner**

This is a short hurt-comfort story in five parts, concentrating on Zero and Kaname and their relationship. It is an experiment of depicting characters who must deal maturely with a terrible past. Reader discretion advised.

~{}~ signifies a change in time or perspective

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately, these awesome characters do not belong to me in any way. They belong to Matsuri Hino, I just love to use them over and over in my twisted stories... ;)

**Summary**: General Zero Kiryu has changed the face of the world, scouring it of the vampire race. Emotionally scarred by years of war and revenge upon all vampires, he nears completion of his life's work when finally the last pureblood is brought before him for judgement. What will his verdict be, when this pureblood is none other than Kaname Kuran, an old enemy from a time long gone?

**Rated M: **implied non-con & violence, emotional M/M lemon (if you're not into M/M, do not read)

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**AN:** I apologize, if my description was deceiving and anyone felt this story was a waste of their time. That was not my intention.

To those of you who want to continue reading - I apologize for taking so long. A few things in my life needed serious sorting out. I will also be continuing my other story 'Unexpectedly Close To The Edge' as soon as possible. I hope you like it and feel free to let me know what you think.

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**Part IV: Love**

Their relationship progressed tentatively.

Kaname fell back into his servant routine frequently. Zero kept reminding him that he needn't service him, but the pureblood did so anyway. He enjoyed cooking and didn't mind cleaning. He _wanted_ to do these things. He wanted to do them for Zero. The hunter's smile was a reward that no money or wealth could ever compete with. Ever since he had found out how fragile the hunter truly was, he learned to pay extra attention to his scarcely expressed emotions. Zero still made no move to touch him and spoke little. Everything was almost like it had been before the pureblood had gone to the dungeon. Only now Kaname didn't need to fear physical punishment.

Time went by as Kaname re-learned to stay at the hunter's side and Zero adapted to not having to work anymore. The hunter's estate was an entire island, well-chosen for privacy. There was only one side where the beach offered a landing spot. Other than that, only a helicopter would be able to reach the island. Visitors could be spotted well in advance. Food and other supplies were brought by regularly every week by a human. The burly boatman stayed only for short chats with the hunter before his business called again and at those times the pureblood didn't reveal himself.

Sometimes an old hunter companion would pay a respectful visit and Kaname would dim his aura to avoid detection. But other than that, they were undisturbed.

Together, they would take walks or read quietly side by side by the sea. Oftentimes, Kaname wished that he could caress the hunter's face, hug him tightly or gently stroke his hair. But he didn't know how it would be received, so he never dared to. All Zero would allow of his own was a soft kiss on the knuckles of his hand, before he would gently pull away in embarrassment. But Kaname knew not to be frustrated. He didn't wish to upset the hunter with rash advances, so he retained himself.

~{}~

Half a year had passed, and they lay in the bed next to each other as they always did. Their conversation dwindled slowly as they spoke about the blooming of the Sakura trees. Kaname had a feeling that the hunter was especially melancholy when it came to the Sakura tree, though he didn't know why. But he didn't trust himself to provide comfort with well-meant but wrongly phrased words. And physical closeness was still something the hunter was unaccustomed to. The pureblood was just about to drift off to sleep when he felt Zero's fingers softly weave into the strands of his hair.

He forced himself to continue breathing normally, but his heartbeat raced instantly. He knew Zero could hear it and the hand pulled back again as though it had been burned.

"S... sorry..." the hunter muttered.

"Please..." Kaname whispered. "Don't be. I... I like it."

Zero's fingers remained in mid-air, frozen in the middle of their movement.

"Are... Are you... sure...?" he asked hesitantly.

Kaname wrapped his own slender fingers around the hunter's and brought the large hand to his cheek. He kissed the palm and smiled.

"I am sure. You won't ever hurt me."

He found he truly didn't fear the hunter as Zero's fingertips slid across his face, their touch tingling on his skin. With painstaking slowness, Zero traced the pureblood's entire face until his fingertips finally came to rest on Kaname's lips. On instinct, the pureblood kissed them. Zero shivered.

Then, he pulled his fingers away in embarrassment. There was that look of vulnerability again, Kaname thought to himself. It made him want to kiss the hunter's lips just to see if it would go away, but he refused to give in to that. Though the pureblood was beginning to long for more intimate closeness, he would leave the initiative with Zero.

~{}~

It was quite a while before the hunter granted Kaname some of the closeness he longed for. He had already began to wonder if he should initiate a soft kiss and had decided not to. He didn't want Zero to feel overwhelmed and retreat into passivity. It really would be better to leave the initiative with Zero. But, of course, that was only half of the truth.

Kaname feared rejection himself. He didn't want to disappoint the hunter ever again. But he also wasn't sure about how well he could handle physical intimacy himself. He thought he could, but depending on the hunter's reaction, perhaps he might fear it. Touching the face was one thing, going lower something entirely different. He couldn't be certain that in the end he wouldn't shy away from Zero's touch, humiliating himself. And so he decided that he would admire Zero quietly from a distance. It was safer for both of them. After all, Kaname convinced himself, it would take Zero a while before he trusted Kaname - if he ever did.

But one day things did change. The hunter walked in on him in the bathroom as he was about to shower. That happened often and usually none of them thought much about it but for some reason, today was different. The pureblood stood there naked, laying out a towel for himself. He didn't pay the hunter much attention, but when Zero seemed frozen in the doorway, Kaname turned to face him with a question on his lips.

The look he received instantly made him blush self-consciously and all words eluded him. Zero's attentive gaze wandered across his entire body without restraint and the pureblood noticed that there was a distinct glint of curiosity in his eyes.

He felt undeniable heat rise in his body at that gaze. His heart pounded even harder as the hunter walked towards him. Bare-chested, wearing only slacks, Zero was a tempting sight to the pureblood and Kaname found himself craving more intimacy no matter the possible fear. So when Zero lifted his hand, about to grant that wish, Kaname's breath caught in excitement. Seeing that, the hunter hesitated.

"May I...?" he whispered.

The pureblood could only nod.

Kaname just knew his eyes fluttered as the gentle fingers caressed the skin of his torso, he knew his heart beat raced as the hunter's scent flooded his senses and he knew his skin rippled waves of goosebumps as he felt the warm breath brush past his throat. Yet, to his delight, Zero didn't stop. With seemingly endless patience, he explored the pureblood's skin with his fingertips, the lightly calloused skin tracing every inch it could find. Kaname was so caught up in the hunter's attention that all he could do was to reach out to hold onto the hunter's arms for fear of falling.

He felt like melting when Zero slid both arms around him and fully embraced him ever so gently, enveloping him entirely in the hunter's scent and warmth. He could feel every strand of the hunter's muscles press against him. Their cheeks touched. Kaname felt the hunter hesitantly brush their noses together as well, his warm breath ghosting over his own waiting lips. The pureblood closed the remaining distance and very softly kissed Zero. It was meant as an invitation and Kaname hoped he would understand it as such, because he just couldn't stop himself any longer.

When the hunter's soft lips answered tentatively, Kaname almost cried. The hunter took his time - holding the slender pureblood close and exploring the sensation of their lips together. Though Kaname's body urged him to claim that hesitant mouth with his tongue without mercy, he let the hunter take control, making this the most hesitant and yet sweetest kiss Kaname had ever had. He melted into it entirely. The longer it lasted the more he felt how the hunter strained to control himself. His hold on the pureblod became stronger, yet his kiss remained sweet and tender. It was barely more then a chaste ghosting of lips against each other and a soft nibble, but by the time Zero's questing lips pulled away, Kaname was breathless with need. His naked body openly betrayed his desire, it was all he could do not to moan wantonly.

"More..." he whispered shakily.

Zero looked at him curiously without speaking, a glint of amusement in his eye. But he didn't taunt or deny him. The lilac eyes fluttered shut as those soft lips met his again. Zero slid his strong hands across his back until one palm cupped his head and the other pressed his lower back even closer. In between surging waves of desire as their crotches met and rubbed, Kaname was amazed at the hunter's quick learning. Perhaps it was simply his intuition - but Zero managed to hold him and kiss him like no one else ever had. With ease he took control over the pureblood, cradling him gently, yet possessively and molding his lips onto his with infinite care but with clear intent. Kaname had never yet felt so cared for while burning up with need so desperately. Zero appeared to be a natural - with ease he made the pureblood weak, drawing embarassingly wanton moans from his mouth with just a kiss and a hug.

He opened his mouth in a low gasp for air and the hunter's tongue slid inside. Kaname delighted in the sensation of Zero's probing tongue exploring his entire mouth and sucked softly at the wet muscle to taste his flavor. A low rumble rose from Zero's throat and Kaname felt him shiver. Obviously, he was turned on by their making out as much as he was. Kaname took that as a good sign, but then Zero pulled away panting heavily. Still holding the pureblood closely he pressed their foreheads together and forced his breath to calm. Reluctantly, Kaname let it happen, though he wanted even more. He wanted to stay in Zero's arms and never let go anymore.

A few seconds passed.

Then Zero's eyes searched his with quiet thoughtfulness as he ran his fingers through the wavy dark hair. Through the hunter's slacks, Kaname felt Zero's arousal prominently throbbing against his own but there was no evidence of clouded lust in his lilac gaze as there should have been, only concern. Kaname was still entranced by their kiss, he didn't want the hunter to think too much, but perhaps it was still too early to have that wish granted. Zero's touch was instantly and entirely intimate. Wonderfully intimate - that kiss, the hug... never had he felt so cherished and cared for in anyone's arms before. How could the hunter doubt himself so?

But he could clearly see the inhibition in the hunter's look. He felt those talented lips brush his forehead before the strong hold loosened and the hunter released him.

"I refuse to hurt you anymore." he said quietly, dropping his hand from Kaname's hair.

"You aren't."

"But I might..."

He left the dazed and confused pureblood in the bathroom to deal with his arousal by himself.

~{}~

Zero distanced himself from then on. Not only did he not make a move toward Kaname for over a month, but he spoke even less and trained his body with gruelling workouts for hours. Kaname was beginning to despair. Just when he'd thought the hunter would be inclined to grant more intimacy, he pulled back and left the pureblood craving for more. It was harder than ever to ignore his needs, knowing what those lips felt like, knowing what his kiss tasted like, remembering in detail every touch the hunter had given.

Kaname didn't understand why Zero believed he would hurt him, not after how he had managed to set the pureblood on fire so easily. With longing, he admired the silver haired hunter, watching him through hours of excercise imagining the strong arms around himself. He stole glances at the hunter's face whenever he got the chance and couldn't help the tightness in his pants as his eyes lingered on those lips. With growing desire, he followed the hunter's body with his eyes whenever he moved, desiring the soft skin against his own, imagining the strong thighs pressing his apart. Though they lived together, Kaname felt the huge distance of unspoken pains in Zero's past between them and it was killing him. Yet he didn't dare to push the hunter. So all he could do was wait and pray that the hunter might decide to share some part of himself.

Zero didn't miss a single look Kaname gave him. For an entire month, the pureblood looked at him with a longing in his eyes that tempted Zero to claim him hard over and over again. The pureblood's body language was clear. The prominent bulge that would form between his legs when he trailed his hungry gaze down Zero's body, the blush that spread across his cheeks when Kaname watched the hunter's lips close around a mouthful of food and the unmistakable racing of the pureblood's heart whenever Zero crawled into their bed naked.

With all the effort he could muster, he concealed the pureblood's effect on him. He tried to ignore how the quiet attentive burgundy eyes softened his resolve everytime their gazes met. He told himself he would not fall prey to the immaculate looks of his companion whenever the moonlight caressed his elegant cheekbone or brought out the gentle curve of his luscious lips. And though there wasn't much skin to be seen when the pureblood wore the simple black shirt and slacks, Zero had to suppress his burning need every time Kaname was close. There was simply no way to ignore that Kaname was perfect. Though his broad shoulders filled out the shirt effortlessly, the rest of his slender body was pleasantly highlighted with the way those slacks rested on narrow hips and fell down over his long legs.

None of these details escaped the hunter. But he was afraid he might lose it again, that he'd repeat what happened so long ago. That he might hurt Kaname... he didn't want to risk it. And every time he remembered that shameful episode of his life, his disgust over himself won out against the consuming heat of pleasure. And so Zero urged his body through yet another series of kicks and punches that served mainly to tire him out as much as possible, because now there simply were no more enemies to fight.

Utterly exhausted, the former general lay in his bed under the covers next to the pureblood. They said nothing even though it was evident that they were both awake. Zero's distant behavior had inspired Kaname to serve him entirely like he had before and though it hurt the hunter, he said nothing to change that. He couldn't distance himself on the one hand and then ask for informality on the other. So he suppressed his wince everytime Kaname addressed him as Zero-sama and bowed to his presence.

But after a month of all his effort, even the horrible images of his past could not conceal it any longer. The pureblood was damn irresistible to him. And there was no way to ignore that forever.

He had hoped to fall asleep quickly. And by any standards, his exhausted body should have complied. But it didn't. He lay there staring at the ceiling while he heard Kaname's heartbeat right next to him. It was too fast. His breathing was too rapid. Zero could not ignore the pureblood's scent of arousal all around them. Though he was trying to hide it, Kaname was flushed and needy right there just a few inches away from him.

Zero could resist no longer. His curious fingers reached out and ghosted across Kaname's chest. He hadn't even truly intended to arouse the pureblood even more. Perhaps he had meant it more to be a soothing caress, but upon contact, the flushed brunette moaned wantonly, his heartbeat thudding loudly enough to make Zero wonder if it wouldn't jump right out of the pureblood's swiftly rising and falling chest.

It turned the hunter on incredibly. Unbidden, his fingers began to explore Kaname's body tenderly, drawing pleasurable sounds from the pureblood. Every contact between their skins had the perfect body under his hand tremble with the shivers that raced through it. Zero was fascinated. He forgot his inhibitions, he forgot the images of his terrible acts in the past, he even forgot his own exhaustion and unfulfillment. At the sight of Kaname so needy and sensitive beneath his fingers, he was wholly entranced.

Kaname didn't dare to open his eyes. This had to be a dream. And he most certainly didn't want to wake from it. Zero's fingers were on him. His fingertips were exploring his skin. It was heaven. Almost accidentally, they brushed the hard buds of his nipples and Kaname squirmed through a languid moan. He was too sensitive, he was too responsive to this hunter. He had never experienced anything like this before. It was like he had no choice - his body submitted to those touches without even allowing him to intervene. Kaname shivered helplessly under the soft caresses. When Zero's questing hands wandered south and reached the throbbing arousal between his squirming legs, Kaname's eyes flew open as he cried out and clutched at the hunter.

It took only a few strokes and the pureblood climaxed violently under his hands. Entranced, Zero watched him lost in his orgasm, watched the flushed lips part to reveal unsheethed fangs as his voice cried out, watched the pale body shudder uncontrolled in pleasure until a sated smile formed on his face as his movements quieted again.

It was a very beautiful sight. Zero didn't think as he kissed the pureblood and wrapped his arms around him. Kaname just melted into his embrace, his body still shivering. Silently, they both fell asleep.

~{}~

As predicted, it took a while before the hunter became more comfortable with their growing closeness. Kaname wondered sometimes if he would ever get to see the kind of lover Zero would have been without his traumatic experiences. Strangely enough, Kaname himself had little qualms about their intimacy. Though he had also gone through terrible experiences, his fear was not as deeply rooted. Perhaps that was because as a pureblood vampire, he had been raised to accept a certain amount of ruthlessness and cruelty.

But as time wore on, their relationship slowly deepened. Zero became more open and their kisses became less hesitant. He stopped asking whether he was allowed to touch Kaname and just did it. Oftentimes he would sneak up on the pureblood from behind and before Kaname would notice him, he would nip at the skin of his throat raising an army of goosebumps from the hairline to his shoulders. Aside from the highly sensual experience of having Zero's lips brush his skin, it was also his amused chuckle that made the pureblood's heartbeat race every time. Knowing that the hunter enjoyed this made him very happy.

Every now and then, Kaname believed to catch a glimpse of the uninhibited Zero he longed to get to know. When the hunter forgot his qualms, he would kiss so passionately and dominantly that just the memory took the pureblood's breath away. He loved that part of the hunter, when he didn't doubt himself and shared his pleasure without restraint, when he would cradle the pureblood tightly while teasing him with kisses, when the hunter's mouth met his lovingly but determinedly and left him with no option but surrender. But still, it was yet a rare occurrence.

~{}~

Calling out each other's names in hoarse gasps, both the pureblood and the hunter shuddered and trembled as the evidence of their combined orgasm dripped from the hunter's hot fingers. The two naked bodies fell back into the cushions of the soft bed, glistening with perspiration in the moonlight that filtered in through the curtains. In the silence of the night, their breaths slowly evened out while they rested together. Kaname relished the warmth of Zero's embrace as a cool breeze blew in through the open window. He liked to fall asleep in the hunter's arms and Zero never denied him. Content, he nuzzled into the hunter's chest.

It was strange in a very sweet way, he thought, that both he - the powerful pureblood and once revered king of his race - and Zero - the former general and strongest hunter of his time - needed each other's embrace like drowning men. But Kaname didn't mind. Becoming this hunter's servant had permanently changed him somehow. Until that day, he had known servitude to be nothing but an obligation of the weak and powerless. But Zero had shown him the other side of that coin. He had shown him that belonging to someone also meant being under their care and protection. And Zero's care had certainly not been a hardship.

After he had taken the hunter's advice to find purpose elsewhere than before, Kaname had been astonished to find that he was able to be content. Even during the years before the war he had never felt so calm and yes, as stupid as it sounded, happy. He had been happy. It was a gift Zero had given him - a very precious gift. He had decided a while ago that he wanted to give the hunter something in return, he wanted to give himself. But though the pureblood longed for more, Zero seemed adamant at never going beyond mutual hand jobs.

He ran his fingers over the hunter's arm, drawing invisible patterns onto the smooth skin, trying to find the right words.  
"Zero, will you make love to me?" Kaname asked, finally plucking up the courage to voice his wish.

The hunter tensed. Kaname usually loved the feeling of Zero's strong muscular torso around him, but of course, the reason he tensed now was not at all to his liking.

Zero pulled away. Kaname knew the hunter would find his request difficult to accept. He hadn't expected him to be so opposed to it, though.

"I... I can't." he said with finality.

Kaname regarded the silent hunter as he sat on the side of the bed, his back turned to the pureblood staring out the window.

"Why not?" he asked.

Zero didn't answer. Kaname hugged him from behind. "You won't hurt me, Zero. I know it."

"You don't understand." the hunter said. Kaname frowned. Then he got up and knelt on the floor in front of the hunter just like he had in his days of being a slave. Only now, he chose to look up at the silver haired hunter. He knew about Zero's distaste of him behaving servile. But he wanted a reaction. He didn't want him to retreat into his dark memories and wait them out in silence.

"Make me understand then." he said softly.

"Don't kneel like that." the hunter growled. Kaname laid his head onto the hunter's thigh. He knew better than to misinterpret the gruff words. Zero didn't want him to be servile, that was all.

"If it's the only way you'll look at me, I'll stay here on the floor all night." Kaname said.

Zero closed his eyes and bit his lip.

"It doesn't matter. I can't. And I won't."

"Why?" Kaname asked simply.

There was a long silence. Kaname knew better than to become impatient. The hunter was very slow when working through his emotions and also very reluctant at explaining himself. Patience and subtle coaxing were the only way to get him to open up.

"You don't know what they had me do... Kaname." Zero whispered.

The pureblood plainly heard the disgust and regret in his voice.

"It wasn't your fault, Zero." Kaname said in a soothing tone. He didn't know what it was that had happened, but he was sure that it was not the hunter's fault.

"Yagari said the same thing, you know." Zero said quietly. "But you're both wrong."

Kaname waited for an explanation and indeed, the hunter started to speak haltingly.

"Yagari... worked them so long that they finally agreed to let me return to being a hunter. But... they made... demands to my redemption." he paused, his gaze lost in memory.

"They locked me in a cell with her. Left me starving and wounded... She was a little girl, no more than ten years old - she had nothing to do with the war or anything. Nothing at all... Her only fault was that she was born a vampire..."

Zero's jaw clenched in anger.

"They gave me a choice: prove that I was a hunter or go back to the dungeon."

Weary eyes met Kaname's patient gaze. The silver hair trembled as he shook his head in regret and disgust.

"I was weak, Kaname." he said, his voice laden with self-condemnation.

"I should have refused and gone back to the dungeon. I knew it was wrong... I... I should never have been so... weak to accept that deal. But I was."

"What was the deal?" Kaname asked.

"Rape her. Without biting her... until she..." Zero didn't finish.

"How can you want me, Kaname!" the hunter cried out "I raped a little girl to death..."

Kaname reached up to soothe away the tears that fell from the hunter's eyes. With all he had already told him and everything he'd gone through, this was the first time the pureblood had seen him cry.

"I can't ever do that again..." he whispered hoarsely.

"You won't." Kaname said. The pureblood rose and pulled the hunter up with him. "I asked you to make love to me. Not to rape me, Zero. To make love - I know you can. Certainly, when you were young, you must have had somebody to make love to...?"

The hunter shook his head.

"You never...?"

"No. I only know how to rape and be raped." he said with bitter resentment.

"Then let me be the one to teach you otherwise." Kaname said, nuzzling the hunter's cheek and hugging him fiercely.

Zero nodded numbly.

"Hey." Kaname stroked the silky silver hair. "They blackmailed you, Zero. Surviving that doesn't make you a bad person. I know better than anyone that you don't take advantage of the weak."

He kissed the hunter every bit as softly as he had been kissed at their first kiss. "You can't possibly know how much I adore you, Zero." Another kiss.  
"Because you care." Kiss. "Because you are gentle, despite what they tried to turn you into." Kiss. "You are strong, Zero. So strong. And still so gentle..."

Kaname snuggled in close to the hunter. Burying his face in the crook of his neck, he inhaled deeply. The hunter's blood tempted him greately, but years of attempting co-existance left the pureblood with immense control over his thirst.

"Make love to me, Zero. Please." he asked softly before kissing the pale skin.

Kaname didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he pushed the hunter back onto the bed and straddled him. He didn't want Zero to linger with those memories. He wanted to erase them all and have the hunter in the present with him. Not in the past. Leaning in, he kissed him with all the passion he had. He wanted the hunter to answer that kiss every bit as passionately.

He poured what he felt into those kisses, he pressed himself close to the hunter's strong body, moving over him and kissing him. He wanted to leave no doubt about what he wanted and how good it felt. The hunter was reluctant at first, but Kaname knew he wouldn't be able to resist for long. And he was proven right. It wasn't long before he responded, first with hesitant kisses and then with soft touches.

When the pureblood grew impatient with the hunter's slow progress, Kaname took the hunter's fingers and sensually ran his tongue over them. He watched the hunter shiver at the touch before he sucked them into his mouth and made them as wet as he could while fixing the hunter with a steady gaze. He guided one of Zero's fingers into his own entrance and saw a shocked expression cross the hunter's face, but Kaname was too far gone now and desperately wanted this.

He pressed himself onto that finger, giving Zero no time to think and himself no time to adjust. But it didn't matter. He pushed back onto that finger sensually and watched the hunter's expression as he begin to ride it.

The hunter's face was a mask of confusion. He was definitely turned on, Kaname could tell - but he also seemed very uncomfortable with Kaname's pace. The pureblood allowed him no time to think as he guided a second finger of the hunter's into his entrance. The hunter looked beautiful in a mixture of shock and embarrassment, but he let Kaname do as he pleased and watched the pureblood get off on riding his fingers. It wasn't long before Kaname inserted the third finger ignoring the slight sting. Instead, he concentrated on the hunter. He focused on the Zero's flushed face while he prepared himself eagerly.

By the time Kaname felt sufficiently prepared, the hunter was also moaning quietly under his sinuous movements. Zero was hard and Kaname pulled out the fingers to prepare the hunter's twitching flesh. Zero arched his back as the pureblood's mouth closed around his arousal, lathering it. But before Kaname could impale himself onto the hunter throbbing member, Zero had turned the tables. Flushed and panting, he straddled Kaname and pressed him into the sheets. The startled pureblood moaned as their erections touched. He wanted this so much.

Zero kissed him softly but kept him pressed into the sheets. Then he kissed again sensually and with more passion.

"I'll give you what you want, Kaname," he said. "But not like that. I want to do this right. I want to be gentle..."

Those words thrilled the pureblood to no end. The hunter licked his fingers and slowly slid down until he knelt between Kaname's parted legs. He let his dripping fingers slide across the pureblood's aching flesh. Kaname shuddered and moaned. He teased the pureblood's entrance and pumped his erection a few times earning him moans of delight. Only then did he continue to explore his entrance with two fingers. When he was absolutely certain that Kaname was tossing in nothing but bliss he inserted another finger, stretching the opening very slowly.

The sight of Kaname so wanton in front of him, did all kinds of things with the hunter's senses. But the most prominent of all was arousal. The longer he explored the tight moist heat inside the pureblood, the more he wanted to be inside, the more he wanted to feel it. But he waited until he felt Kaname was really ready. Zero's own precum made him so slick that he didn't need any further lubrication. He fixed Kaname's gaze.

"Please, Zero..." the pureblood panted answering the unspoken question.

That was just too irresistible. He pushed into the tight entrance paying careful attention to Kaname's expression. Together they moaned loudly as his entire length slowly filled the pureblood. It was unbearably good, hot and tight and wet. Though Zero feared to be hurting the pureblood, he saw the unmistakable pleasure written across Kaname's face, the undeniable proof that he was making the pureblood happy. Only then did he give a few experimental thrusts and held on to Kaname who was mewling in delight.

Zero was feeling the pleasure as well. Thrusting into the tight entrance, he felt like he was in heaven. But still, he didn't want this to be just sex. He wanted intimacy. Slowing his pace, he hugged the pureblood close to himself as he thrust in slowly and deeply, taking in his scent, holding his body and kissing Kaname's soft skin.

"O God, don't stop..." the pureblood moaned, his body spasming in the hunter's arms. Hearing those moans, seeing the pureblood so heavily lost in their coupling and feeling him shudder around his throbbing arousal - all of it combined was the ultimate proof to Zero that he was still making Kaname happy, that he wasn't a raping monster, that he was giving pleasure. Though thinking was impossible in that moment, his heart warmed with the knowledge that even he could learn to provide something other than pain. Only after that realization did he allow himself to truly savor every thrust and every moan.

Where Zero only noticed his heart fill with warmth and his inhibitions crumble, Kaname instantly recognized the deeper change within the hunter. The care with which he made love to him didn't diminish, but his inhibitions gave way to indescribable passion. Their lips met hungrily with their tongues mirroring their combined movement. Kaname loved every second in which he got to see the brooding, controlled hunter lose himself to pleasure. He was beautiful this way - a heated blush on his face, his lips parted for countless moans and his eyes clouded with pleasure.

When Zero thrust into him especially deep, their gazes met and locked. Kaname could see everything in that gaze. There was no more emptiness there. The look those lilac eyes gave him was warm and soft but full of desire. Desire for him - for him alone. There was no more distance in those lilac eyes and it made Kaname come on the spot. Zero didn't let go of him the entire time they rode out their climax together. And for the first time ever, Kaname saw the hunter's eyes shine with unguarded happiness.

It was just the beginning of very many long nights.


	5. Chapter 5

**The General's prisoner**

This is a short hurt-comfort story in five parts, concentrating on Zero and Kaname and their relationship. It is an experiment of depicting characters who must deal maturely with a terrible past. Reader discretion advised.

~{}~ signifies a change in time or perspective

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately, these awesome characters do not belong to me in any way. They belong to Matsuri Hino, I just love to use them over and over in my twisted stories... ;)

**Summary**: General Zero Kiryu has changed the face of the world, scouring it of the vampire race. Emotionally scarred by years of war and revenge upon all vampires, he nears completion of his life's work when finally the last pureblood is brought before him for judgement. What will his verdict be, when this pureblood is none other than Kaname Kuran, an old enemy from a time long gone?

**Rated M: **implied non-con & violence, emotional M/M lemon (if you're not into M/M, do not read)

* * *

**AN:** So here's the last part. Thank you all for reading - I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Part V: Devotion**

Kaname thoughtfully watched the hunter slice the onions for their lunch as he set the table. Zero was desperately trying to hide it, but it was blatantly obvious to the pureblood that the hunter was trembling through every movement because he was simply exhausted. His morning training routine had taken all reserves out of him and even cooking a meal took too much effort. Kaname bit his lip. He didn't want to suggest helping him, because he knew it would offend the hunter. So he watched in silence as Zero struggled through the vegetables until he finished slicing them all.

Kaname worried about him.

Zero still trained his full daily routine of hunter exercises, refusing to let his strength deteriorate, but after nearly 200 years without a drop of blood, his Level D body was beginning to run out of life. Kaname trailed his eyes across the hunter's slimming figure. His slacks and shirt couldn't hide from the pureblood's eyes what he refused to acknowledge. Zero needed energy, his formerly well-muscled body had now become lithe and sinewy. His skin was too pale and the shadows under his eyes would no longer go away by sleeping. Just the thought of what these observations signified were heart-wrenching to the pureblood.

But he smiled when Zero turned to regard him. Despite his condition, the hunter held himself upright with the same discipline he had forced upon himself for so many years as a general in the military. The hunter's self-control and willpower was both admirable and painful to witness.

Zero had begun to age and Kaname truly feared to loose him soon. He didn't care for wrinkles or posture - Zero was beautiful to his eyes whether his body aged or not. Kaname's heart was as full of love for the proud and silent hunter as ever, his adoration for him growing every day. But he was worried. It wasn't food Zero's body needed, nor sleep. For the past months, it had more and more rejected even these substitues for recovery. Zero hardly slept through a night anymore and he barely finished child-sized portions of food. They both knew very well what it was his body demanded.

Blood.

Kaname had offered. Without hesitation. The thought of what his blood could do to invigorate Zero's fading body alone was enough. He wanted Zero healthy. He wanted him happy. And he wanted Zero to live for as long as possible. But his offer, of course, had gone much deeper. He wanted a bond between them. He would gladly give his blood, his heart and his soul for the hunter. And giving it _to_ the hunter would be a dream come true.

Zero, however, remained undeterrably possessed by the thought of his own debt towards his long deceased brother. He insisted that by kiling his twin he had every reason to suffer and even years of commiting to hunter law didn't relieve him of that. With that, he declined Kaname's offer and refused to speak of the matter again.

Kaname had tried to argue, but it proved a distressingly fruitless endeavor. Now, the pureblood knew better than to bring it up. Zero would only avoid him for the rest of the week.

With his head bowed, Kaname finished folding their napkins and lit two candles. Just like Zero didn't abandon his posture or training routine, Kaname never stopped making an effort to arrange their table nicely or to dress perfectly. The hunter never explicitly asked him to, but it was such small tokens of care and etiquette that frequently brought a faint smile to the hunter's face. And to Kaname there was no better reward. Lately, however, Kaname's attempts were always accompanied by the fear that someday it might be the last time he'd set the table.

He was so lost in thought that he only looked up when Zero placed two plates of food beside his hands. Startled, Kaname was brought face to face with Zero's empty look. For days he had searched those lilac eyes and hoped that time would be less cruel than it was. Every day, Kaname had been able to find something in Zero's gaze that justified his hope. But today the hunter closed his eyes as their gazes met and turned away to sit. Undeterred, Kaname kissed him softly before he sat down, too.

They ate in silence.

"It's delicious." Kaname said after a long while. Zero looked up from his plate and smiled faintly. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

Kaname finished his plate, but Zero stopped halfway into his meal unable to finish.

"I will do the dishes." he said.

Kaname reached out a hand and stayed him.

"You have already cooked. I will do them."

For once the hunter didn't argue. This made Kaname worry even more. He poured the hunter a glass of water, knowing that he didn't feel well at all. Then he left to do the dishes. When he returned, Zero still sat at their table as though he hadn't moved a fraction. The glass of water was still in front of him, untouched. Kaname couldn't hold his tongue any longer.

"Would your brother truly have wanted you to suffer for ages?" Kaname asked quietly. He knew Zero would not listen if he just flung his frustration at him.

Zero didn't move.

"I have already violated so much that I believe in." he said. "I cannot do that."

As if to prove he was fine, he rose from where he'd sat.

"But what is your belief worth, if you die so soon?" Kaname gave back, trying hard to conceal his desperation. "You said yourself that you can never be free. But it isn't true - this is your own prison. Your choice. Yours only. All the hunters you vowed to are dead."

"_I_ am not." he said with a firm voice.

"I love you, Zero." Kaname whispered. "I love you and if you die, I can't go on."

"So you would have me commit sacriledge on my vow for your selfishness?" It wasn't a fair accusation and they both knew it.

~{}~

Kaname's lip trembled slightly and Zero felt his heart ache at the sight. He didn't want the pureblood to be upset, and he regretted his words instantly when he said them. But his pride was too great. He knew Kaname would give anything he asked for. He knew it, and yet he couldn't ask for it. It was wrong. It was wrong for his body to need blood. It was wrong to need to drain life from another creature to live yourself. He had survived for too long. He was meant to die long ago. For almost two centuries he had defied the vampire race, he had refused his vampire body, he had kept his vow. He couldn't just throw all that away now. He couldn't become a vampire's plaything to extend his pointless existence. It was time to die, wether Kaname liked it or not.

After a moment of silence, the pureblood vanished and Zero sat down numbly.

~{}~

Kaname stood at the beach and listened to the sea. There was no one to reprimand him for inappropriate emotional display anymore so he freely let his salty tears join the foaming ocean. He wanted to love Zero for a long, long time - but the hunter seemed to want to die an early death by torture. And dying of thirst _was_ death by torture. If a vampire didn't feed, they didn't fall asleep like an aged human would. They wouldn't become sick and weary of life and breathe a labored last breath before closing their eyes forever.

No, a vampire dying of thirst would suffer terrible pain, loose all their dignity while clawing at themselves and going into a delirium until they lost their mind. It wasn't quite like becoming a level E - but it was a painful and humiliating process. How could he watch his love suffer through that?

He didn't want that. He truly didn't. It was heartbreaking to realize that even sharing a life together for a few decades could not erase what had been done to him. Was Zero really scarred so cruelly, that a 200-year-old vow to his now dead torturers meant more to him than Kaname's love?

The pureblood bit his lip. That hurt. It really hurt. But nevertheless, Kaname hadn't lied or exaggerated. If Zero died, he would not go on. He _could not_ go on. It was meaningless without him.

Bitterness overcame him. He was probably a fool for loving the hunter. A complete and utter fool without pride or dignity.

For once, he should behave like the pureblood he was. He realized suddenly that for all their time together one thought had never crossed his mind - to override the hunter's will and force him to accept his. Kaname was a pureblood - it was in his blood to command those lower than him.

He could force the hunter to drink his blood.

But Zero would hate him to the end of his days for it.

_He is dying._

Kaname trembled at the thought. He was losing Zero to a slow and painful death that he could prevent. And here he was, hesitating... no pureblood hesitated to prevent something they could and wanted to prevent. Especially when it considered a loved one.

But could he really force something upon the hunter that he knew Zero didn't want?

Kaname made up his mind. He shook his head. He couldn't do it. If it was Zero's wish to die then he would not stand in his way. He would stay by his side until his love turned to ashes and then he would kill himself as well.

Without Zero, there was no point in living for him. He loved him too much. And there was no one left in this human world for him. He only wished that Zero would allow him to prolong his life, to become blood bound mates so they could share more of themselves and live much longer. Their end would be less painful and Kaname would not have to kill himself when his mate died. He would die the same instant anyway.

But it was not Zero's wish.

The pureblood sniffed. Then he nodded. He would apologize to the hunter for demanding something that his vows could not allow. He would accept his decision to refuse his blood and he would never bring up that topic again. After all, the few months they had left would be more precious than ever. He would not stain their time together with a pointless argument.

Collecting his shreds of resolve, he wiped the tears away and went back into the house.

~{}~

"I apologize." Kaname said solemnly. He couldn't help noticing the way Zero slumped in the chair of their dining room. He pushed past the pain it brought him to finish his apology.

"I should not have asked for something you feel you cannot provide. Please do not be angry with me. I was being selfish - but I won't bring it up again. I promise."

Zero looked at him and Kaname couldn't help taking a step back in startled surprise. The hunter's lilac eyes were now the crimson of a thirsty vampire. Kaname hadn't seen him like that for over 200 years. But it looked wrong and horribly out of place. It didn't even match his facial expression at all. The crimson eyes that usually went with elongated fangs and a hungry piercing gaze looked nothing but haunting on the hunter's pale and tired features.

"It is I who should apologize, Kaname." he said softly and a tear crept down his cheek.

"How can I call you selfish after what I have done to you?" he asked.

"You are right. What I have vowed so long ago became invalid when I resigned as a hunter. It is only my pride that kept me from accepting your blood. I fear to... become your slave." Zero admitted. He closed his eyes and then looked down at the table.

Kaname was stunned into silence, somewhere between hurt and disbelief.

"I have been thirsty for so long that I do not know anything else, Kaname. I would drink from you. But I understand the implications as well as any other vampire. I would be dependent on your blood. The only way to repay you would be to allow a bond between us."

Kaname was about to argue, but Zero continued.

"I would even allow you to drink from me, Kaname. But I know better than anyone else what it means to be bitten by a pureblood. You would easily control me - my will would make no difference. I would be no more than a puppet in your hands."

Kaname had never thought of it that way. With the way things lay between them, this outlook hadn't even occured to him. But he understood the hunter immediately. And he knew in the same instant that none of his words would make a difference to the hunter. He could promise that he wouldn't control the hunter all he wanted. If Zero didn't trust him, there was no chance he would believe it.

He bowed his head. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway, he told himself. Kaname had made up his mind to accept the hunter's choice whatever it may be. Though he was still more than a bit hurt at the hunter's obvious lack of trust, still, he understood his decision.

"I hadn't realized that. I am sorry, Zero. I will not bring it up again. Please forgive me."

"Kaname..."

But the pureblood barely listened. Another thought had occured to him. A last straw... All of this hurt was needless. There was another option.

"Zero..." he began, plucking up enough courage to offer this one last possibility.

"Do you wish to be human?" he asked.

It was a simple question and so simple a solution. Kaname could just sacrifice himself to make the hunter human once more. It had been done before in the Kuran family. He had the strength of the ancestor, surely it was in his power as well. It would solve their dilemma. Zero would live perhaps another three or four decades and then die human. Without bloodlust. Kaname could even make him forget all of his terrible experiences. Surely, it would make the hunter happy.

Yes, perhaps that was the best option. Zero would not have to suffer. And Kaname would not have to witness his suffering.

The pureblood watched the hunter's face wince at his question, watched traces of emotion flicker across his tired features until he finally answered.

"Yes..." it was just a whisper from the hunter's lips, a whisper that held too much self-disgust and regret to not be painful to the pureblood.

"I can make you human again, Zero." Kaname offered.

Zero fixed his gaze with scrutinizing suspicion.

"Juri Kuran did it... for Yuki..." Kaname said quietly. "As the ancestor of the Kuran bloodline, it is not a difficult thing for me to accomplish."

Kaname's offer hung in the air as Zero silently searched his eyes.

"At what cost to you?" the hunter finally asked.

"My life."

Zero shook his head.

"No."

Kaname fought despair. It was the last bit of proof the pureblood needed. Zero had no trust in him or their relationship. Not even this affirmation of his love was enough. Kaname would be left alone to watch his demise and die with the knowledge that he was following someone into death who couldn't let love win over a pointless vow of guilt.

Feeling rejected and hopeless, Kaname was about to turn away, but Zero stopped him.

"Wait." he said quietly, his voice strangely laden. Kaname stopped but didn't turn. He couldn't face him now. Not when his tears were so close.

"You misunderstood me, Kaname..." the hunter said.

"How could I..."

"I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for me, because you are..." he stopped.

"I... I had never... expected to... live this long." Zero began again haltingly.

"I had never... _wanted_ to live this long. But now that I... found you..." he trailed off. Kaname turned to face him.

"You don't need to feel obligated to prolong your life on my behalf, Zero." he said with a firmness in his voice he didn't feel.

"But I want to be happy with you for a long time..." the hunter whispered defeated.

Kaname thought his ears might be deceiving him.

"Please..." the hunter continued in a fading whisper, his crimson eyes staring at the pureblood in their full haunting emptiness. "Please... I don't know... how to... ask for..."

Kaname was at Zero's side in an instant.

"Anything. Zero. You can ask for anything. Even... even if hurts me... even if it will kill me. I will do anything but one thing. I will not live without you. You can ask for anything else."

Zero's hand caressed the pureblood's cheek. "I love you, Kaname."

The pureblood's heart fluttered at that confession. He had known for a long time of course, but those words had never before left the hunter's lips.

"I love you and I hope my trust... is not... misplaced when we share a bond."

Kaname's eyes flooded with tears of happiness. Through his blurry vision, he pulled the slumped hunter into a strong embrace where he stood and kissed his lips sweetly.

"It couldn't be." he said as he stroked the hunter's hair lovingly.

"A bond out of love makes us a part of each other. It won't make slaves out of either of us." he said, relishing the feeling of Zero's body against his, loving his wonderful scent and enjoying holding the hunter's head close to his heart. Over and over he trailed reverent fingers through the soft silver hair.

"I _want_ to be a part of you, Zero. I want to share my strength with you so that we can be together for a long time. I want nothing to change between us, except that we are more intertwined. I don't want to rule you, Zero. I want to give love to you and receive your love. Trust me on this - you have already provided blood for me to keep me from dying. Your hold over me is no less strong than mine over you. I assure you that a blood bond formed out of love is just that - a bond of love. But even if you don't want a bond, I will not hold it against you. All I ask is for you to accept my blood to prolong your life."

Kaname kissed his hair and released his hold on the hunter. Then he stepped back and unbuttoned his shirt.

"My blood is always yours, Zero. Always, whenever you need... or want it."

~{}~

The hunter hesitated as he watched in rapture how the parting buttons revealed a temptation he had always ever refused to acknowledge. He struggled internally and then looked up into the pureblood's rosewood eyes. Kaname was watching him, offering himself and waiting. Zero chewed his lip to keep it from quivering. His fingers trembled slightly, as he reached out to caress the well-known planes of the pureblood's chest. He had touched this skin over a thousand times by now and yet he never got tired of it. He knew too well how quickly everything could be lost and he never took for granted the intimacy they shared. He always did his best to cherish the pureblood.

Still, this time was different, was special. He felt almost like he was about to commit sacriledge. Sacriledge, not only on his vow, but also sacriledge on the beautiful creature in front of him. Suddenly uncertain, he lifted his eyes to the pureblood's face. Kaname smiled encouragingly and then softly put a hand around Zero's waist, gently pulling him closer.

~{}~

Kaname's heartbeat raced at the familiar and yet unfamiliar touch. The hunter's hands slid slowly across his skin in a seductive pattern that made him yearn for something other than blood sharing. Zero's ability to captivate him with just a touch or a hug or a kiss had never faded. Kaname was entranced by the slow and uncertain ministrations. But when he saw Zero's fangs slowly protrude from behind his lips, he shuddered. He had never seen his hunter like this. Thirsty, and yet in complete control over himself, only slowly allowing his long suppressed vampire instincts to surface under his own careful supervision.

The hunter's eyes unfocused slightly as he inhaled the pureblood's scent and shuddered ever so softly. Kaname found that so unbelievably erotic that the fabric of his slacks instantly moistened with precum through his underwear. Inhaling softly, Zero let his nose caress the pureblood's clavicle, taking in the wonderfully tempting scent, relishing it instead of forcefully ignoring it. Kaname gasped lightly as Zero's tongue licked across his skin soothingly. He could feel Zero's fangs graze the surface very slightly without drawing blood and the sensations only became more erotic as the hunter's lips gently nipped his skin before giving his throat a languid kiss.

Overwhelmed with the sensations, Kaname's knees gave way immediately as Zero sucked his skin into a hickey.

The hunter caught him and in one fluid movement, and then slid his hungry fangs into the soft flesh.

~{}~

Zero was in heaven. No other bliss compared to the taste of Kaname Kuran. It entirely overwhelmed his senses, the strength of his blood pulsed through his veins and he could feel all of Kaname's feelings, he could taste the truth behind his professed love, and he could feel - even while he drank, how his body was slowly rejuvenated. With every mouthful of blood, he cradled his precious lover closer to himself, pressing their bodies together, trying to get closer and closer together.

~{}~

Kaname moaned. Zero's fangs were deeply embedded in his sensitive flesh, but he felt no pain at all. Only intense pleasure. That was only ever the case with lower level vampires when the person biting you truly loved you. The pureblood could not remember this much pleasure ever when being bitten. His earlier thoughts of hopelessness were entirely gone out the window. This more than anything was proof beyond doubt that the hunter loved him from the bottom of his heart.

The pleasure built with every drop of blood that left his body to invigorate Zero. Kaname was shaking as he was pressed ever closer to the hunter's body. Their rubbing movents made him dizzy, the thirst-driven passion boiling even hotter, building the heat further and further until Kaname thought he would loose his mind for good.

By the time Zero found the strength to pull his fangs from the pureblood, Kaname had spilled his seed into his slacks, even though there were four layers of clothing between them and the hunter's hands hadn't even gone near his belt or beyond.

It should have been embarassing to the pureblood to have lost himself so. But if he came in the hunter's arms because Zero's love induced so much pleasure, there was no reason to be ashamed. His lips found the hunter's and he tasted his own blood on Zero's tongue. A pair of lilac eyes refocused and looked at him. Kaname tried not to feel too self-conscious about his no doubt entirely dishevelled appearance.

But Zero smiled happily and cradled him in his arms like he was someone infinitely precious.

"I had hoped that you would not feel much pain... but it seems that I worried needlessly..." the hunter said.

He kissed the pureblood deeply and rubbed against his still twitching arousal. Kaname moaned helplessly in his arms. He couldn't stand right now and he was shaking with the aftermath of his orgasm.

Considerate of the pureblood's condition, Zero carried him to the bed effortlessly with his newly regained strength. Gently, he placed the pureblood onto the sheets and lay down beside him. He kissed the pureblood deeply. Then he slowly unbuttoned his own shirt.

"Drink from me, Kaname." he whispered.

The pureblood shivered. He could tell, Zero was nervous. But Kaname would retaliate with at least as much pleasure as he had just received, he decided. Not only did he love the hunter more than he had ever loved anyone before, but as a pureblood, he had some extra abilities where blood sharing was concerned. Purebloods could actively induce pleasure if they so chose. And he would not be merciful on the hunter with it.

With still trembling limbs, Kaname turned Zero onto his back and crawled over the hunter. Aware of the hunter's aversion against being bitten, he kissed him languidly, and licked his throat seductively. The hunter's already heated body was easily stimulated. Zero moaned softly under him and writhed a bit as Kaname trailed his hands across hard nipples and down past his slender hips. Then, without warning, Kaname slid his fangs in softly.

~{}~

Zero's body exploded in pleasure. He writhed and moaned under Kaname's gentle thirst, his arousal straining against its constraints. A few instants after Kaname began to drink, he felt their fledgling bond already. He could feel the pureblood's happiness reverberate throughout himself and again, felt the undeniable love he had for him. He needn't have feared it at all.

There was no pain in sharing blood, only beautiful pleasure.

He didn't lose control over his thirst, only over his arousal.

He wasn't controlled by the pureblood, but instead could now feel him through their bond.

And whatever other thoughts he might have had were swallowed up by Kaname sliding lasciviously across his burning body.

~{}~

Kaname was well aware of how close Zero was to coming hard. But he didn't want to take too much blood. Lovingly, he licked the wounds closed on his new mate, denying him his exultant release. The hunter panted heavily, his eyes glazed with lust and Kaname realized only now how much he had wished for this moment to happen. With one last lick, he relished the crimson elixir. Zero's blood was strong and powerful hunter blood. It dazzled his mind and clouded his senses with brilliant intensity. It was as strong as the hunter's will. And Kaname was certain that even if he had tried to control Zero through their bond, the hunter would have ultimately resisted.

But the pureblood truly had no interest in enslaving his new mate.

The only thought on his mind now was... sex.

And with the way Zero moved under him, with the way his face was flushed and his body heat spiked, he was certain the hunter wanted it as well.

"Don't prepare me, Zero. Just bite me." he said after catching his own breath. He wanted to waste no time, he needed to feel Zero. Now.

Zero rolled them over glared at him playfully.

Kaname smiled. He loved a playful Zero. He loved a happy Zero. He adored a sexy Zero. But what filled Kaname with happiness the most, was that finally, the hunter was no longer a prisoner of his misguided pride anymore. Finally, the general had reliquished his prisoner. Finally, after years of barring his heart, Zero was free to love again.

"Just bite you...?!" Zero questioned. Then he literally pounced onto him with a sweet growl.

Kaname looked up innocently into his lilac eyes, his pureblooded heart stampeding its happiness across his chest at the youthful mischief he saw there.

"No way, pureblood." Zero pinned him harmlessly to the bed. Deliberately, he dragged his suddenly elongated fangs across the pureblood's pert left nipple.

"First, I'm going to bite you..."

Zero's eye-color wavered toward crimson.

Kaname's breath hitched at the promise.

But Zero's hands were now sliding off his belt and unpeeling his damp slacks.

"... then I am going to prepare you... thoroughly..."

Kaname could prevent himself from shuddering to the bone as Zero's tongue trailed across his exposed arousal covered in his earlier orgasm.

Zero chuckled quietly, his voice low and seductive. Kaname found his tip leeking again just at the sound of his hunter's passionate joy.

"...and this time... you'd better not come before hand... or else..." at this Zero looked up from where his tongue slid across the pureblood's trickling precum and grinned mischieviously.

"... we'll have to do it all over again."

~ THE END ~


End file.
